Choke
by XTheSonofHadesX
Summary: Percy Jackson was a normal college student, until a mysterious guy showed up turning his world upside down. Now Percy struggles to know what's real and false. He struggles, not knowing if he's awake or asleep.
1. Chapter 1

_Alright, so this is my second fic. I chose the title Choke, because that's the song that was going through my head as I pictured this story. The song is 'Choke' by Hybrid. I was just picturing like Nico in some future scenes that will come into play later, and I just felt this song fit it pretty well. So I'll just call it Nico's theme lol. This is my first fanfic created from complete scratch. My other fic, A Tale of Love and Thrones, is based off Game of Thrones, so I had help from the show starting it off. Though, I owe a huge ton of thanks to Braigi, my now permanent beta. Lol sorry Braigi, you shouldn't have moved in to my head. Now you are trapped there. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to even start this thing. I had the story down, but I couldn't figure out what kind of world I wanted to throw it all in to._

_Post days will be Mondays, but I can't promise they will be every Monday. I can already tell this fic won't come so easy as my other. I'll do my best though to get them out on a weekly basis. Well I'm not gonna drone on too long, so I'll just let you get to the story._

_Warnings: I'm gonna give it a M rating for now. There will probably be sex in later chapters. Language. This is slash. So, boy/boy. Or in this case, Percy/Nico. I'll probably have one other couple, but that'll be later. Let's see...you'll probably have OCs, though I'm gonna try to keep a lot of characters in character. Percy may be slighly OC. Nico is pretty much just a big OC._

Chapter 1

Percy sighed as Annabeth continued her rant about how they should go out and hit a club tonight. They were all underage, but she'd be providing them with fake ids. Grover was the closest, at twenty, but he could pass for being twenty one, or maybe older. Annabeth was the youngest of the group, still eighteen. Percy had just turned nineteen a few weeks ago.

He wasn't really enthusiastic about this whole idea. A club wasn't really his ideal hangout place. He'd much rather have a house party and invite some friends of theirs. However, for some reason, Annabeth seemed hellbent on dragging Percy to this bar. Percy frowned, knowing his parents might kill him if they found out he was going to use a fake ID at a bar and attempted to buy alcohol.

They had always been strict parents. They always made sure to push him to his limits. They hadn't always been like this, but a few years back, they had just seemingly changed around him. They made him take up martial arts lessons, and do weird meditation. They had begun pushing him harder in school, and had watched him more closely. Percy figured it had been due to his tendency to get into fights when he had hit puberty. He had been angry that his parents were always so busy with their work, and they never seemed to have time for him. He had been classified as a problem child.

They never talked much about their work, Percy knew they were doctors, and they did a lot of research in genetics. They had never let him come to their lab. They tended not to be home very much, he had been watched by a nanny, mostly, growing up. Even when they finally did pay him attention when the fighting started, they didn't spare him much time. They had said he was acting out, and he was just depressed. They hadn't even acknowledged that they were the reason why he was acting out! All they had done was put him on some weird anti-depressants and then go back to their lives.

Until he graduated high school, someone had always watched him take his medication. However, once he was in college, he was on his own. He hadn't meant to not take it at first. He had been in a hurry one morning on the way to class, and had just forgotten. After that, it had slowly become a matter of disobeying his parents. It reminded him that they couldn't even spare time for him, relying on psychiatric medicine to take care of their child for them. He ended up flushing the rest of what he had of the drug down the toilet. It was only after he had done that that he had become nervous as to if it would have any side-effects on his body, if he stopped like that. However, he soon noticed that, instead of feeling worse, he had begun to feel better. He could think more clearly. He felt stronger, in a sense. Simply, he felt good. His parents had given him responsibility with the medication, so they hadn't noticed yet that he had stopped, if they ever would notice.

Grover punched Percy in the shoulder, which snapped him out of his thoughts. "Ow. What was that for?" Percy asked, as he rubbed his arm.

"Dude, you've been out of it if for a while. I mean I wanted to zone out on Annabeth's rant too, but I stuck it through." Annabeth playfully swatted the back of Grover's head.

"So you're coming, right Percy?" Annabeth asked, as she gave Percy a slight glare.

Percy sighed, defeated. "Ok. Yea, I'll go. I guess I'll see you two after you both get off work?" They both nodded at Percy and walked off. Percy turned and began to head back to their apartment. Percy watched as a woman jogged with her dog down the side-walk across the street. It seemed kind of strange to Percy, sometimes. Life was just so quiet, and normal. He knew it was the way things were, but he had always felt as if something were missing. He couldn't place his finger on it, but it was like he knew something wasn't right with the world. Percy was giving himself a headache thinking about it. He always did, every time he ventured into thinking about things like this.

Something seemed to catch Percy's eyes, and he glanced over to an alley. It was still light out, but it was dark down the alley. It sent a small chill down Percy's spine. As Percy stared at it, he noticed that it seemed to be sucking in all of the light into the shadows. The thing that unnerved Percy the most, however, was that, in the shadows, he felt as if something were watching him. A van drove across the road, blocking the alley from sight for a brief moment. When the van passed, the alley looked completely normal. It was lit, and Percy could clearly see the dumpster that was against one of the buildings. Percy shuddered, and quickly ran away from the alley.

* * *

Percy attempted to make his way through the crowd towards the bar. Bodies gyrated all around him as people danced to the loud music. The strobe lights flashed rapidly, which caused Percy to bump in to people as he made his way through the crowd. He looked back at Grover and Annabeth, over at a table. He finally reached the bar, and the bartender asked for his ID. He pulled out his wallet, and pulled out the fake one Annabeth had made him. He handed it over to the bartender, who looked at it, and raised an eyebrow at Percy. "Nice try kid. Now beat it, I've got real customers to take care of."

Percy tossed her a hateful glare when she held on to his fake ID. Even though he was now nineteen, he still could pass for a high school student. Percy sighed and turned to head towards Annabeth and Grover, only to stop in place.

A few feet away, blocking his path to his friends, stood a black haired guy, staring at him. At least, Percy thought the guy was staring at him, since his eyes seemed to blend in with his hair in the dark light. Percy tried to go around, but the guy again blocked his path. "Can I help you?" Percy asked over the loud music.

A small smile spread across the slightly shorter guy's face. Percy blinked, and suddenly the guy was standing directly in front of him, mere inches from Percy. Percy's breath caught slightly as he took in the other guy's features. His dark hair hung down into his eyes, and looked as black as night. His eyes almost matched his hair, and seemed to almost have a glow to them in the low lighting. His skin was pale and seemingly flawless. "I've been looking for you, Percy."

Percy looked utterly confused. He had never seen this boy before in his life. He was sure he would recall someone that looked like this one. "Do-do I know you?"

The mysterious stranger closed the distance, and whispered in Percy's ear. "My name is Nico. Now that I've found you Percy, you will be in danger. They'll be looking for you too now." Percy pulled back and looked at Nico like he was crazy. He attempted to walk away, but Nico grabbed his arm in a death grip. Percy turned back, slightly angry, ready to give this Nico a piece of his mind. However, when he turned back around the darkness that had seemingly begun to radiate in Nico's eyes made Percy shiver.

"This isn't a joke Percy Jackson. You are in danger. You don't know what these people are capable of. You need to come with me," Nico said, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Listen, I don't know where you came from, but I'm sure the mental wing wants their patient back. Now, I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my night with my friends," replied Percy, with some annoyance in his tone. He pulled his arm from Nico's grip and began walking again. However, Nico's next words froze him in place.

"Do you trust your parents, Percy?" Percy spun back around to look at Nico. He began to say something, but Nico cut him off. "How many times have you lain awake at night, wondering why they push you so hard? Why are they are always so busy? Sometimes you keep yourself awake at night, because you feel like there is something out there. You feel life isn't all it seems to be." Nico once again moved so he was standing mere inches away from Percy.

"How do you know all of this?"

"There are forces at work in this world, that you probably can't comprehend, Percy. When my superior told me about you, I knew you were who we were looking for." A smile spread across Nico's face as he spoke. "Though, I must ask how you hide it so well." Nico was now whispering, almost seductively in Percy's ear. A blush spread across Percy's cheeks.

"I've only told, like, my two best friends. I've been kind of scared to come out to my parents." Nico laughed at Percy's statement. Why was Nico laughing at him? Percy had kept his sexuality quiet, even after starting college. The thought of coming out to everyone just seemed so intimidating, and Percy really didn't see why he really had to.

"That's cute. You thought I meant your sexuality. No, I already knew that," Nico practically purred into his ear. Percy inhaled sharply, as he felt Nico press up against him. "I meant, how do you hide what you are?"

* * *

The alarm blared, waking Percy from his sleep. He slammed his hand down on the clock, making it shut up. He had a severe headache, but he knew he hadn't had anything to drink. He ran a hand through his hair, it was soaked in sweat. He looked down, and noticed his chest was covered in it as well. How had he gotten home? The last thing he remembered was Nico whispering in his ear. It was like the rest of the night hadn't happened at all. He swung his legs over the bed, and stood up. His head pounded harder upon standing. He needed something for his headache and something to drink. He quickly put some track shorts on, and opened his door to go into the kitchen.

Annabeth sat at the bar, she sipped on some coffee. Grover was lounging on the couch as he ate some eggs and bacon. They both glanced at Percy as he made his way into the kitchen, and each tossed him a smile. "So how did you sleep man? Sorry you didn't get that alcohol. The bartender was just being a bitch last night," Grover said, as he scarfed down the last of his eggs.

"It's ok. I just don't remember coming home last night"

"Really? You didn't talk very much, perhaps you had just zoned out again," Annabeth said. It could have been possible, Percy tended to zone out a lot. Ever since he stopped taking his medication, his mind wandered more. He thought more clearly, but he just got lost in the thoughts that came to him. However, he didn't think he'd zone out bad enough to forget everything between Nico and going to sleep. Percy quietly reached into one of their cabinets and pulled out a cup. He got some ice from the freezer, and poured some water into the cup from the tap.

"I'm not sure. I have a horrible headache this morning though. Are you sure I didn't have any alcohol?"

Grover came over and placed his plate in the sink, he seemed to be going through the nights events in his head. "Nope, not even a sip. You just sat around for the most part. Didn't talk very much."

"Well, I had this really weird talk with this guy there named Nico. He said some weird stuff, and I think he was flirting with me. I just don't remember anything after talking with him."

Neither of them responded. Percy glanced over at them, they were both staring at him as if he had two heads. "Percy, you were with us the entire night. You never left our sight," Annabeth said. How could that be? He had gone to the bar, and that's where Nico had stopped him. This didn't seem right. "Nobody named Nico came and talked to you."

_So, that's chapter 1. Mysterious ending. Ooooooooo. Lol. So, this is what all brought this fic into my head. The club and next day scenes, that's it. From that it spread into a much bigger thing. I could have been mean and just made it a one-shot, but what's the fun in that? Anyways, leave me some love. I'd love to hear what you guys think is going on. If you get it right I'll give you a cookie._


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm so sorry about the wait. I was suppose to have this up yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen. Braigi got it back to me yesterday, but I was over at a friends all night last night and couldn't get online to get it from him. So, I get it up now. I'm hoping you all like it. I really appreciate the reviews and all the alerts and favorites it got just from one chapter. I'd also like to thank starsandtwinkles, he favorited me as an author and that's the first I've gotten of that so it was awesome. Even more awesome that his only other favorite author is my favorite fanfic author, Hitome-Chan. So it made me feel all special._

_Anyways, Chapter 3 is done as well and will be up on schedule this coming Monday. I'm working on Chapter 9 of my other fic, but I'll probably take a break and start on Chapter 4 of this one. Also I have a one-shot that is being beta'd as we speak. I'll have to work on a plot hole that Braigi found, but it'll be up in the next few days. _

_I'm really enjoying writing this actually. Even though I don't have any idea what will come out when I sit down to write each chapter. I will say I'm anxious to write Chapter 4 because you'll be meeting Percy's parents finally. I'm also working hard not to make Percy just fall in love with Nico right off the bat, I had that happen in my other fic, which was fine, but I want this to roll different. That's also what I have Braigi and his stamp for. Alright enough rambling from me and on with the story. This chapter does give more insight to what is going on though, but only a little if you know where to look._

_Warning: slash (boy/boy sexy times), some alcohol, underage drinking, language on occasion, and an author winging it through each chapter :D (that last one is only partly true). Don't like any of that, don't read._

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own any characters from the Percy Jackson series. If I did things would be very different, and probably not suitable for kids. Nico would be Percy's age and they would have kissed in book 1 or 2, and banged by book 4. _

Chapter 2

Percy lay on his bed as he stared at the ceiling. He had locked himself in his room for the past few hours to think. How could he have dreamed Nico up? The guy had seemed so real. Percy could still feel the breath on his neck from when Nico whispered in his ear. Had it all just been a dream? Percy couldn't accept that, but how could his friends remember the night entirely different than he had?

Percy sat up. He knew what he had to do. He had to go back to the club, in hopes that Nico would be there. Then he could prove that he hadn't made Nico up. He stood and walked back in to the living room, where Annabeth and Grover were talking in hushed voices. They grew silent when they noticed him. Annabeth tossed him a concerned stare. "Feeling better?" she asked. Percy nodded.

"Would you guys wanna go back to that club tonight?" Percy asked. They both looked at him funny. "Please." They both grew silent, and silently nodded their agreement. "Great. I guess we should get ready." Again, they didn't respond, which made Percy glance at them funny. They silently stood and made their way back to their own rooms and shut their doors. Percy didn't move for a while. First they claimed his previous night hadn't gone the way he thought it did, and now they were acting strange.

Percy didn't try to put much thought into it, instead heading back to his room. His eyes caught sight of movement near the window. It was as if a figure's shadow was being cast from the opposing wall. The shadow moved, and disappeared when it went by the window. Percy ran the rest of the way into his room to look at the opposing wall, but didn't find anyone standing there. Percy scratched at his head, as he glanced back at the window. What was going on?

* * *

"Why did we have to come here again?" Grover yelled over the loud music. Percy didn't answer at first. His eyes scanned the club, searching for Nico. He couldn't see him anywhere. He should have known this was a stupid idea. Even if Nico was real, what were the chances he would be here two nights in a row?

"I'm looking for someone," Percy finally replied.

"Well you do that. We're gonna hit the dance floor," stated Annabeth, as the two left Percy. He watched them make their way into the crowded dance floor, but soon tore his eyes from them to continue his search. He began walking around, hoping he would spot the dark haired boy.

He wasn't really watching where he was going, and soon bumped into someone. He began to stumble backwards, but was caught by the stranger's hands. "Whoa there. Sorry, wasn't really watching where I was going." Percy glanced up at the taller male. The guy was a few inches taller than Percy, with slightly paler skin. He had short blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He had a mischievous smile that seemed to give him a look as if he were up to no good. Below his right eye was a small scar, in a slight crescent shape.

"No, I wasn't watching where I was going. I was looking for someone." Percy blushed slightly, the guy was pretty attractive. The guy gave a small laugh, and released Percy.

"Well if you were looking for me, I believe you found me." The guy winked at Percy. "Luke Castellan." He extended his hand and Percy quickly shook it.

"Percy Jackson. No, I was looking for someone I met here last night." Luke seemed to look disappointed at Percy's statement, but quickly shook it off. "Sorry. It's just complicated I guess. I needed to talk to this guy."

"Must be some guy. Wanted to take him home?" Luke laughed. Percy blushed, and quickly shook his head. "Well you're welcome to hang out with me until you can find this guy. You want a drink?" Luke nodded his head at the bar.

"I'm only nineteen."

"So? I was drinking when I was fifteen. Here, have a sip of mine." Luke extended the hand Percy hadn't shook and held out his beer for Percy to take. Percy considered it for a moment, but decided it wouldn't hurt anything. He slowly reached out and took the glass bottle, and raised it to his lips. Luke watched him with an amused look as he took a long drink from the bottle. "Not so bad, right? I promise I didn't roofie it." Luke laughed, and Percy gave a nervous laugh of his own.

Percy spent the next few hours talking to Luke, seemingly having forgotten his reason for being there. He found out that Luke had moved to New York from Dallas, Texas. He claimed it was for a job, but didn't seem too interested in talking about what kind of job it was. He asked Percy a lot of questions about his life. Percy felt uneasy at times, but Luke would smile and he'd relax. "So, how did you get that?" Percy asked, as he gestured to the scar on Luke's face.

Luke tensed. "It's a long story." Percy didn't respond. He wanted to see if Luke would talk about it. Luke seemed to pick up on this, and laughed. "Well if you really want to know, it was from an old friend. Well, ex-friend I should say. We ended our friendship on some pretty bad terms, if you can't tell."

"You didn't report him to the police? He could have killed you!"

Luke's expression turned solemn. "He might have meant to, but we were friends once, so I didn't turn him over to the cops. It's really just a complicated story. I kind of liked him as more than a friend once, but we just had our disagreement before I could tell him how I felt. Then, the fight happened, and he's made a point not to want to see me."

"Would you want to see him after he gave you that?"

Luke laughed loudly. "He was something else, even if he did give me a scar. He's in the past though. No point dwelling on the past." Percy nodded. "So, it's kind of getting late, and I need to get going. Could I see you again? If you want to, I mean. I could give you my number."

"Yea, I'd like that. I had fun tonight." Percy handed his phone to Luke, who quickly entered his phone number. He smiled as he handed the phone back, and then stood to leave. He gave Percy a hug, and made his way through the crowd towards the exit.

Percy glanced around, looking for his friends, but couldn't find them anywhere. He assumed they were still on the dance floor, so he headed towards the massive crowd. He made his way through, getting groped a few times, but still couldn't find his friends. Suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder spinning him around. Annabeth smiled at him. "Where have you been?" she yelled over the music.

"Oh, I just ran into someone."

"Oooooo. Was he cute?" Percy blushed. "I'll take that as a yes. Well come on, Grover and I are still getting our dance on." Annabeth led Percy through the crowd until they came to Grover, who was apparently getting cozy with a girl with long auburn hair. He smiled over at Percy, who gave him a thumbs up. A new song started, and all the bodies began grinding against one another in rhythm to the music. He was comfortable enough with Annabeth to dance with her, so the two of them began to dance. The strobe lights flickered rapidly to the beat of the song. Percy couldn't help but lose himself to the rhythm. He shut his eyes, and let his body do all the work. Suddenly he felt Annabeth press extremely close against him. He snapped his eyes open, only to find it wasn't Annabeth.

He was met by the dark eyes of Nico, who was gyrating his hips just the right way against Percy. The lights seemed to be playing tricks on Percy's eyes. With one flicker Nico would be standing there, and the next he wasn't, and then he'd be back again. Percy wanted to question what was going on, but Nico's hips pressed up against his made it difficult to talk. Nico leaned in, to rest his head in the crook of Percy's neck, and bit at the flesh there. Percy gasped, and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist.

"You remember me?" Was all that Nico said. Percy nodded. He didn't understand what was going on. How could he forget? "You need to be careful who you trust Percy."

"Last time you said I needed to come with you. Where-"

Nico cut him off. "I can't take you with me now, Percy. You'd put us all in danger."

"I don't understand." Nico reached up and touched his hand to Percy's face.

"You will. You'll find your own way to us, in time. He really wants to meet you, but he can't risk the safety of the rest of us." Who was Nico talking about? Someone wanted to meet Percy? How could he be that important?

"Last night, you asked how I hid what I was. What did you mean by that?" Percy asked. Nico didn't answer him at first, slowly running his hand down Percy's chest. He looked back up into Percy's eyes, his eyes looked sad.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because it won't do either of us any good. You'll understand in time, I promise. You just have to trust me. I promise I'll see you through this, Percy. It won't be an easy journey. Even now, they are trying to break you. Remember me, as you have already, and I'll guide you through this. No matter what."

* * *

His phone went off, and Percy nearly fell out of bed. He stared at his phone to see who was calling. It was his friend, Will. He had met Will Solace at orientation over the summer, and the two had hit it off pretty well. They ended up having one class together, which made Percy kind of happy. While Will was Percy's friend, it was obvious that Will had a slight crush on Percy. Percy wouldn't lie though, Will was very attractive.

He had perfect blonde hair, that curled just right. He had deep blue eyes, like the sky on summer's day. His skin was about as dark as Percy's, and they were around the same height. Percy couldn't help but feel an attraction of his own towards Will. He smiled and slid his finger across his iPhone, accepting the call. "Hey Will, what's up?"

"Hey Percy!" Percy could tell Will was in a good mood this morning. "Are you busy today?"

"Not really. I just woke up. Why?" Percy smiled, knowing what Will called for.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out."

Percy lay his head back against his pillow, and smiled at the ceiling. "Sure. Give me like an hour to get a shower and get dressed. Then you can head over."

"Well...you could wait for me to get there to take that shower." Percy bit his lip, to fight back a moan. They had messed around once, and Percy had very much enjoyed it. They just weren't sure if they wanted to move into a dating phase, or just keep it friends.

Percy moaned into the phone. "You have no idea how tempting that sounds, but I may have to decline for now. However, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time today."

Will's laugh came through the phone. It was sweet, like honey. "Ok, I'll come over in a bit. See ya." With that, Percy hung up the phone. As he stood, he caught sight of himself in his mirror. On his neck was a small hickey, the one Nico had gave him last night. Last night. Percy's eyes widened. Was it real then? He had forgotten when he woke up, and even now it seemed fuzzy.

"If the hickey is real..." Percy trailed off, as he returned his attention to his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Luke's name. It was there, as it had been last night from when Luke put it there. Percy smiled to himself, as he returned his hand to his neck. Now he had proof to show Annabeth and Grover. Then his eyes widened. "Oh shit." Percy remembered Will was coming over, and he had a hickey. While they weren't dating, Percy didn't think Will would like finding something like this on his neck. There was no way he could hide it though. Percy groaned and fell back on to his bed.

He figured he would just have to accept what was coming. He got back up, and grabbed some clothes. He exited his room and headed for the bathroom. He shut the door behind him, and set his clothes on the sink. He ran his fingers under the waistband of his boxers, and dropped them to the floor. He stepped out of them, and tossed them to the door, so he'd remember to take them back to his room to be placed in the clothes hamper. He turned on the water, and waited for it to warm up.

As he stepped under the spray, his body instantly relaxed. His body began working on autopilot, allowing his mind to wander. Nico had been right there next to his friends, surely they would have seen him this time. He even had a hickey from him. Why did it all seem like a dream though? He felt like it was a dream that he kept waking from before it was over. He felt bad though, even if Nico was a dream, Luke wasn't. He was there in his phone. The problem was he was supposed to be interested in Will, and it was obvious Luke had been flirting with him. If Nico was real, he too had been flirting. Percy would admit, he felt a heavy attraction to Nico, there was something about the boy that just drew Percy to him.

He heard a knock on the bathroom door, and leaned his head out to talk to the person. "Who is it?"

"Me," came Will's voice.

"I told you I'd be taking a shower."

"You told me to wait an hour. I did, then you didn't call so I decided to come over. That ok?" That couldn't be right. Had it already been an hour? Percy leaned farther out of the shower and grabbed his phone. An hour and a half had passed. Percy quickly shut off the water, and grabbed a towel. He dried his hair, before wrapping the towel around his waist. He opened the door to find Will smiling at him. Will took quick notice of Percy's appearance, as his eyes roamed Percy's body. He noticed Will biting his lip. "Well hello there."

Percy laughed, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey. Sorry, I guess I lost track of time. So listen, about this," Percy said, reaching up to point at the hickey on his neck.

"About what?" Will looked at him funny. Percy raised an eyebrow. "There's nothing there." Percy quickly turned and looked at the mirror. There wasn't anything on his neck. The hickey was gone. Percy ran his hand over the spot in disbelief.

"No-nothing. It's nothing."

* * *

"Text me when you get home."

"Ok. Bye." Will leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. He looked a little sad. Probably because Percy had been so lost in his own thoughts over his lost hickey that he hadn't done anything besides kiss Will a few times. He shut the door as Will walked off, and leaned back against the shut door. He heard a throat clear, and found Annabeth smiling at him from the hallway.

"So, did you two have fun?"

Percy sighed. "We didn't do anything."

Annabeth cocked her head to the side. "Everything ok? You haven't really been yourself lately." Percy pushed off the door, and sat at the counter.

"It's complicated, and maybe a little crazy. Have you ever felt like something is real, but turned out to be a dream?" Annabeth nodded. "Well, I just can't tell if sometimes I'm awake or dreaming. The past two nights you guys said things happened one way, while I remember them another. I don't remember ever finishing the nights. I'm always doing something, and then suddenly I wake up the next morning in my bed. I don't even remember getting there."

She gave him a sympathetic look, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should go see a counselor, or maybe talk to your parents."

"No!" Percy yelled, and Annabeth flinched. "Sorry, I just don't feel like talking to my parents about this. It's probably just nothing. Just answer me this. Last night, do you recall a guy with black hair dancing with me?"

Annabeth was silent for a moment, thinking hard back to the previous night. Then she shook her head. "No, you had a blonde haired guy with you. You said his name was Luke. You said you bumped in to him, and the two of you hit it off really well. It was really obvious he was into you. Especially by the way you two danced together. No black haired guy though." Percy's head started to spin. Maybe he was losing his mind. He clutched at his head in frustration. How could it all have been a dream?

He sighed, and without another word to Annabeth went back to his room. He plopped down on his bed, and turned the TV on. He browsed through the channels for a while. Suddenly his phone vibrated. He reached into his pocket, expecting it to be Will, letting Percy know he made it home. Percy didn't recognize the number though. He opened his phone to read the text the strange number sent him. "Meet at the playground in Central Park at midnight".

_Alright, 2nd chapter done. I think you'll all like 3 as well. So, what did you guys think? I'd like to hear what you guys think is going on. Braigi knows so his opinion is tainted :P. How am I doing on Percy? What about Nico? What's his deal? Obviously, Nico isn't really like he is in the books. I made him older for one, but a slight change in personality I guess as well. What about Will? Luke? Why are Annabeth and Grover acting weird? Well feel free to tell me what you think. Until next time._


	3. Chapter 3

_Ah, posting day. You are here at last. I'm sure all of you that have favorited and alerted this have been waiting for this next chapter. Especially with the end of last chapter. Now you can find out who left the text :D. I'm actually really happy with how well this story is doing, it's doing much better than I thought. Thank you to all of you that have reviewed, favorited, and alerted. Also for a note for next chapter, me playing Diablo 3 may have shown in Chapter 4. It takes a dark turn at the end, but in an awesome way. Oh, and to give you all a time table kind of thing, it'll be Chapter 5 when the big reveal comes out for what's happening. Though, you can pick up on hints in 2, 3, and 4. _

_Oh, and there's a new character this chapter :D. Well, 2 actually, but I only really care about one of them. I'm hoping all of you are enjoying this. If you like it now, you'll hopefully love it soon. Chapter 4 is already edited, but the ending is awesome as is so I'm gonna build suspense mwhahaha. Alright, let's get to the story._

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Percy Jackson universe. This is just for entertainment. I'll refrain from putting anything else that might disturb anyone lol. I got a review saying my last one was scary, I'm guessing it was about my statement about Percy and Nico banging if I owned the books._

_Warning: Language, slash (boy/boy, don't like don't read), eventual violence_

Chapter 3

Percy didn't live far from Central Park, so he decided to go on foot. He had a weird feeling that he was being watched the entire way, but every time he looked around, he found no one there. He shuddered from the eerie feeling, and quickened his pace down the sidewalk.

He entered the park with fifteen minutes to spare, just enough time to get to the exact place. As the playground came in to sight Percy noticed that it was empty. He looked around for a minute, as he hoped to find someone hiding. He passed by a swing as it eerily swung to and fro, empty. He stared off into the distance, until he heard the swing creak, giving indicating it was in use.

Perched on the swing was Nico, who wore a sly smile on his face. "Hello, Percy." Percy thought he looked like an innocent kid as he swung, but the air about him still made Percy aware that he was a possible threat. He didn't know anything about this guy, and for some reason, his friends could never remember him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to see if he still had the text. "Don't bother, it's already been deleted."

"Why is this happening to me? Why is it I can remember you, and my friends can't? Why do you want me?" Nico's smile grew, and Percy thought he almost looked like the Cheshire cat. Percy blinked his eyes, and when he opened them again Nico had vanished. He looked around for the dark haired boy, but Percy couldn't find him.

Percy nearly jumped as Nico's voice came from behind him. "I can't really answer those questions right now." He was hanging upside down on the jungle gym. Percy walked over to him, and did his best not to stare at the exposed flesh. Nico seemed to notice as he gave a mischievous smile. He grabbed the handles and landed on the ground gracefully. "Like what you see?"

"Don't dodge my question. It isn't fair to keep secrets like this from me. I feel like I'm going insane. I don't even know if you are really real."

"I can assure you that I'm real. It's the rest of your life that I'd call fake."

"It's just, I keep waking up while we are having a conversation. I feel like it's all a dream. You saying you are real doesn't make you such." Nico pinched him. "Ow! I-I don't know. This is all just strange."

Nico's face took on a solemn expression. "I'm afraid it won't be getting easier. Your normal life is coming to an end, and there's no stopping it. Don't worry, though, I'm keeping an eye on you." Percy stared at Nico in confusion. Nico laughed at him. "Normal people are fun to mess with, well you aren't really normal, but you don't see things for what they truly are, so I guess you still count as one."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy asked in frustration. Nico sighed and pulled out his phone to check the time. "Need to be somewhere?"

Nico stared up at the sky for a moment before turning back to Percy. "I'm afraid our time together is almost over for the night. They seem to be aware that I'm here. So, I'll have to be taking my leave this time. Maybe this time you can actually remember getting to bed."

"They? I don't understand. How do you know I can't remember getting to bed at night?" Nico didn't answer. The lights around them flashed and then went dead. Percy had closed his eyes when the lights flashed due to the brightness. He slowly opened them, only to find Nico had vanished.

* * *

Percy walked out of his last class for the day, glad to be done after a long day. He'd have to go to his martial arts lessons in an hour, so he had some time to kill. He spotted Will's blonde head as he moved through the crowd of people. Percy jogged over to the blonde and grabbed his hand. "Hey." Percy tossed him a bright smile. Will grumbled before he returned the greeting. "Something wrong?" Percy asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, just your odd change in behavior. Yesterday you barely touched me, but now your back to being somewhat affectionate." Percy pulled the blonde in and kissed his cheek.

"I'm sorry. It's just been a rough past few days. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Things are just weird. I promise it's nothing you did."

Will cocked an eyebrow at him. "I'd hope not, I thought I was being amazing. Speaking of amazing...you wanna go back to my place?" Percy chuckled as the blonde wrapped his arms around Percy's neck.

"I'd love to say yes to that proposition, but I have lessons in an hour."

"How about after?"

"I can't. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow? I just have someone I feel like I need to see." After all of this Percy felt there was one person he needed to see, the one person that his friends could remember from the club. Maybe Luke could shed light on to some things. Percy's memory felt so damaged as of late, that the only thing that really stuck out to him was Nico. Something about the boy just shone through all the haze in his mind. He wasn't sure how he felt about the dark haired boy, but he at least knew he felt a sexual attraction towards him. He did know Nico would be the greatest help to Percy, even if he wouldn't answer his questions.

The only problem was that the number Nico had used yesterday was no longer a working number. Percy had tried calling it and texting it, only to be met with a dead end. Will looked a little disappointed with Percy's answer. "Did-did you find someone else?"

Percy shook his head quickly. "No. No. It's not like that. I just need help with something. I just don't really wanna talk about it right now though, maybe another time." In all honesty, Percy didn't know what to feel about Luke. He was smooth, charming, and very attractive. Percy knew the guy had flirted with him, but he didn't know if he would be interested in the guy like that. He just felt like he needed to see if Luke could be of any help to him.

Will nodded, and gave Percy a peck on the cheek. "Ok, well, text me later if you wanna hangout. I don't have any plans." Percy nodded and waved as the boy walked away. He began heading for his lessons, he figured he didn't have anything better to do than just wait there.

Ever since Nico had said that thing about watching him Percy kept glancing around. He felt like he was being watched, but he didn't know if it was just from Nico's words, or if he actually was being watched by someone. He thought he probably looked paranoid to those around him, he was glad Annabeth and Grover weren't there to see him. Annabeth was probably on the verge of calling his parents because of how crazy he had been sounding the past few days. She'd tried to be helpful as much as possible, but she really didn't know what to do. Was there anything for her to do? Maybe Percy was going crazy. Percy was beginning to believe it himself. His friends remember nights different from what he remembered, he had had a disappearing hickey, Percy couldn't remember how he kept getting to bed, and there was an enigma boy that spoke in riddles. Nico had claimed it was the rest of his life that was a lie, though. Percy groaned in frustration as he rubbed his temples.

He entered the building to find his instructor unoccupied, maybe he could get his lessons started early. His instructor was a grumpy middle-aged man named Ares. He seemed to have a bit of a temper, but when it came to training the man was calm and collected. Ares looked up to see Percy in the door. He grumbled, but motioned for Percy to come in. Percy sat his stuff down, and went to change into appropriate clothing.

When he reemerged Ares was already standing on the training mat. "Shall we begin?" Percy nodded and took up his stance. Ares made the first strike, a kick to Percy's side, but Percy fended it off. Ares thrusted his fist at Percy's chest, but Percy grappled it. Ares broke out of Percy's hold and thrust again, towards Percy's side. Percy raised his knee in time to block the attack, and set off on the offensive. Percy thrusted his arm out, fist clenched as it pointed upward. Ares met Percy's arm with his own. Percy drove his hand at Ares, but it was knocked away. Percy caught Ares's arm as it made an offensive attempt. He kicked swiftly at Ares, as he hoped to catch him off guard, but Ares used both of his hands to catch Percy's leg. He shoved Percy's leg back, in an attempt to knock him off balance, but Percy managed to keep his footing.

Percy punched his fist several times at Ares, but was swiftly blocked each time. In all his years of training, Percy had yet to land a blow on his master. He knew the man was good, but Percy was determined. It was Ares's reputation to go untouched by his pupils, and the man was determined to hold it. Percy thrust his palm out at Ares chest, but Ares jumped backwards in an attempt to dodge it. However, the man stumbled backwards, and clutched at his chest. Percy stared at his hand for a moment. It hadn't felt like he had made contact, but the fact of what happened begged to differ.

Ares gaped at Percy, and then he became red out of anger. Just as he seemed like he was about to start yelling, the man calmed down. He sighed, and clapped Percy on the back as he passed Percy. He walked over to a corner of the mat and sat down lotus style. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. Percy didn't really know what to do, so he just stood there awkwardly for a moment. "That will be all for today, Percy."

Percy was still confused as he made his way back to the changing room. Had he just won a sparring match? He would have had to have been the first of his master's pupils. Percy quickly changed, and ran out of the building. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he wanted.

* * *

"Percy! Over here," Luke yelled, as he motioned Percy over. They decided to meet at a coffee shop, and Luke had already arrived and picked out a table. He gave Percy a bright smile as the dark haired boy sat down. "Couldn't resist my charms could you?" Luke ran a hand through his hair in a cocky fashion.

"Yes, you are just so irresistible," mocked Percy.

Luke clutched his chest in mock pain. "Ouch. So, what can I do for you? Unless this is just your way of getting me on a date, which I'm ok with." A smile spread across Luke's face.

"We'll have to see about the date. I've only met you once. I mean you're kinda cute." Luke's smile grew wider. "Though, you probably know you are. No, I was just wondering what you remember from the other night."

Luke's face seemed to settle into an expressionless face, before he frowned. "Oh, well...hmm...we talked, and then we went to find your friends. Then we spent the rest of the night dancing. Why?"

Percy's eyebrows scrunched together. Why did everyone seem to remember things happening that way? "Oh..." Percy trailed off, too caught up in his head to think of anything else to say. This just didn't make sense, but there was no way he could get in contact with Nico. He had to wait until the boy decided he wanted to talk to Percy. That was, if Nico really did exist. Maybe this was his side effect from when he took himself off his anti-depressants. Would that make him hallucinate an entire night and imagine a boy?

"Something a matter?" Percy looked up to see Luke with a concerned look on his face. "You look confused or something."

"It's nothing."

Luke sipped at his coffee. "It doesn't seem like nothing. Nobody can help you if you don't talk to them about what your problem is." Maybe Luke was right. He needed to talk to someone about this, or he might drive himself insane.

As he was about to start talking about what was bothering him, a chill ran down Percy's spine, and Nico's words about trust rang in his ear. 'You need to be careful of who you trust Percy.' He stared at Luke a moment. Could he be a threat? He just seemed like a concerned friend. Well, if Percy were to use the term friend loosely, since he only met the guy two nights ago. Something about the boy just made Percy feel so open though. His warm smile was inviting.

Before he could think more into it he just started spilling everything to Luke. Percy left out a lot of details about Nico. He didn't feel right divulging the guy's name or what he looked like to the blonde in front of him. Luke nodded from time to time, but stayed silent until Percy was done. Then he sat back against his chair and crossed his arms. "Wow, that's quite a story. You haven't like started drugs recently have you?"

"No. I don't do that stuff. I don't smoke or do drugs. I drink on extremely rare occasions, but that's it."

"Maybe you should see a therapist." Percy put his head on the table and groaned. Why was that everyone's suggestion? Luke chuckled at Percy's antics. "I'm only joking, sort of. I'd say if it gets worse you might want to go see one. Though, it could just be dreams. You say you don't recall getting back to your bed at night." He paused for a minute. "Well, that wouldn't really make sense I guess. You'd still remember getting to bed before sleeping and dreaming about the events of the club. I don't know what to tell you, Percy. I mean, if you wanna talk again, I'm here to listen, but I really don't know what to tell you. I mean, I don't think you are crazy. Maybe you just need to get more sleep."

"Maybe. I hate feeling like this, though."

"I'm sure it'll all sort itself out soon." Luke grabbed Percy's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Percy smiled back at him. Luke's eyes seemed to flicker off into the distance, but only for a few seconds before they returned to Percy. He gave Percy's hand another squeeze before standing. "I'm sorry to run off like this, but I gotta get to work. I have the night shift tonight. Lucky me," Luke said sarcastically. Percy stood, and Luke pulled him into a hug. "I'll see you later Percy. Text me if you need me."

Luke walked off, turning around once to wave at Percy before he headed round a corner and out of sight. Percy gathered his things and walked away from the coffee shop. He reached for his phone to check for missed calls or texts, there weren't any. As he was about to put his phone back into his pocket he crashed into someone. The person's coffee fell out of their hand and splashed all over the sidewalk. "Shit, I'm sorry dude," Percy said.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. I'll just get another, I guess." Percy stared at the boy for a moment. He was extremely attractive. He had short dirty blonde hair that hung to his eyebrows. He had sun kissed skin that seemed flawless from what Percy could tell. His eyes were sky blue, they seemed like lightning might fly across them at any moment. He sighed, picked up his now empty cup, and threw it in the trash. When he bent over, Percy noticed he also had a very nice backside.

"No, I'll buy you one. What did you have?" Percy stated, already pulling his wallet out.

The blonde laughed, showing off his beautiful smile. "You don't have to do that. It's fine really."

"No, no. It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." Percy began walking into the coffee shop, and the boy quickly followed pace. After they placed the blonde's order they sat at a nearby table to wait for the drink to be made. "My name's Percy, by the way." Percy held out his hand to the blonde. The blonde reached over the table and shook Percy's hand.

"Jason. Thanks again for the coffee, even though you didn't have to."

"Like I said, it's not a problem. So Jason, you from here?"

"Yea, well, not originally. I moved here from California, like, two years ago."

"Did your parents move you out here?"

Jason's lips formed a thin line. He hesitated for a moment, as if debating if he should answer. "No. I kind of ran away. My family and I don't really get along. We used to. It's just, after my dad married our step-mother things kind of changed. Then...some stuff happened, and I ended up running away. It's really just a long story."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have asked." Jason's number was called, and he got up and retrieved his drink. Instead of just leaving, he returned and sat back down with Percy.

"No, it's fine. You didn't know. I think things turned out for the better."

"So, what do you do now that you are out here? You go to school?" Jason shook his head. "Job?"

"Yea, I got a job. I'd like to go to college, but I don't know. Things are complicated, you know?" Percy nodded. "Anyways, what about you?"

"I'm in college. I'm from here originally. My parents are workaholics. I'm not really sure what else there is to say." Jason smiled as he sipped at his coffee. Percy's phone began to ring, as it signaled he got a text. He looked at his phone. Percy's face fell as he saw who it was. His mother wanted him home for their weekly dinner. "Well, it looks like I need to be going. Family dinner, not really my favorite thing. It was nice talking to you, Jason."

Jason stood and they shook hands again. "Yea, maybe I should bump into people and spill coffee more often. So, I just met you and this is crazy, but do you want my number? I don't really have too many friends out here yet. I guess that's kind of sad, since I have lived out here for as long as I have. I just kind of stay busy with work, and don't get many chances to make friends."

Percy laughed. "Did you really just quote Carly Rae Jepsen to ask for my number?" Jason nodded, with a blush. "Sure." Jason and Percy exchanged phones, and they each put their numbers into the other's phone. "Alright, I guess I'll see you later then. Bye." Percy turned and walked out the door. Percy hailed a taxi, and jumped inside when one stopped for him. He told the driver where he wanted to go, and settled back against the seat. Percy sighed in relief. Today had gone by, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Maybe things were going to get back to normal.

The taxi arrived at Percy's parent's penthouse. Percy paid the man, and hopped out of the taxi. He went up to the front door of the massive building that housed many families like his parents. His parents were perplexed when Percy wanted to move out after he graduated, but didn't fight him on it. He just didn't like being here. Sure it was nice, but it just reminded Percy of the lack of warmth he felt at home. As he grabbed the door handle a voice froze him in place. "Hello, Percy."

Ah, the smell of another chapter out of the way, and another suspense ending. So, here's something I've thought about doing. I've thought about if I ask a question, like what could the big secret be, then to reward someone who guessed it right. The prize being a clip from the next chapter, but then I thought I don't really wanna spoil the next chapter so I'm not sure, but let me know what you think about that and I'll think about doing it. Anyways, what did you think of this chapter? I feel like I'm making Percy a bit of a whore. Will, Nico, Luke, and now Jason he's all got a thing for. I was happy about Jason this chapter :D. So, toss me your thoughts on the web on people's connections. What could be going on? You should love next chapter. Well, until next time. See ya next Monday.


	4. Chapter 4

_Ah, posting day. You are here again. Seems like just yesterday I posted the last chapter. Anyways, I want to say thank you to all of you that are sticking with this. I hope you are enjoying it. I'd also like to say thanks to those of you that checked out my one-shot. I posted an update so go check that out. So, I loved writing this chapter. The end especially. I'll talk more about it at the end. Next chapter is it though. The big secret finally comes out. Excited?_

_I got a shout out :D. Well it was for a review I posted, but it still made me feel loved. You can go check out Promises. I'm enjoying the fic myself so maybe you will too. On a similar note. I give my own shout outs. Sometimes in author notes or sometimes on my page. You all can go check my page out and see if I mention you. I think my shout out for the fic, Do Hell and Sea Mix?, is still up there. I am loving that fic. My page is also a place for my ramblings, chapter updates, upcoming plans, etc._

_Oh, and next week will be another special post day. I'll be debuting a new fic. It will be canon. Well, sort of. Canon story wise so far. Still Percy/Nico. Its just getting them there. Managing it from the point of view that Percy is straight. So that will be fun. I did a lot of research on everyone for that. Did you know Hazel is older than Nico? I didn't. Yea, in SoN she is like 14 and Nico is 13. Seemed weird because he was acting like the older brother. _

_I think that is all I have to say this time. I hope you love this chapter, and I hope you stick with me as it continues. I also apologize for killing you slowly Make-It-Now-or-Never. Lol. On to the chapter._

_Warning: Eventually I'm going to feel the need to not post a warning. Like I'm doing in my other fic. Anyways, slash, violence, language, sex, underage drinking. Making Percy seem like a whore? I feel so ashamed._

_Disclaimer: Sell me the rights, Riordan! I need it. I just want to make Percy and Nico all cute together T.T_

Chapter 4

"Hello, Percy." Percy spun around to find Nico smirking at him. The slightly shorter boy stood very close to Percy, trapping Percy between Nico and the door. Percy eyed him suspiciously for a moment, this was the first time he had seen Nico when it wasn't night time. He wanted to reach out and touch the black haired boy to make sure he was really there.

Suddenly, the door opened behind Percy to reveal his mother, Sally. She gave Percy a confused look before motioning for them to enter. Percy turned back to look at Nico, expecting him to be gone, but the boy was still standing there. Then his mother did something that surprised Percy, she addressed Nico.

"Who is this?" she asked. Percy stood stunned for a moment, unable to really fathom what was happening. Someone was finally interacting with the boy he thought he dreamed up.

"I'm Nico, Percy's friend," Nico stated calmly. His mother nodded and stepped aside for both of them to enter the penthouse. Percy's father, Poseidon, sat in his chair, reading over some papers. He glanced up at Percy for a brief second and nodded to his son. Then Poseidon's gaze came to rest on Nico. Percy felt as if the air tensed from the way his father stared at Nico. Nico didn't seem to notice, or he chose not to acknowledge the way the older man stared at him.

"Who's this?" Poseidon asked.

"Oh, Percy brought a friend of his over. His name is Nico...I'm sorry I didn't get your last name," Sally replied.

Nico seemed hesitant at first to respond, he seemed to be looking around the room. "di Angelo," was his simple reply. Poseidon's gaze didn't ease up from the new boy. It made Percy uncomfortable just watching it. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you. Will you be joining us for dinner, Nico?" Sally asked, as she trained her gaze on Nico as well. Percy didn't understand it. It was like his parents knew something wasn't right about the mysterious boy.

"I don't want to be a burden."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Percy's mother replied in an odd tone. His parents' gazes now looked as if they were analyzing the boy.

Percy clapped his hands bringing everyone's attention to him. "Alright then. Let's eat."

Dinner was extremely awkward. Percy's parents decided they wanted to probe Nico for questions, and the boy didn't seem thrilled answering them. "So, Nico, where are you from?" Sally asked.

"Texas," Nico stated plainly.

"Oh, did you and your parents move out here?"

"No. My parents are dead."

"Oh, that's sad. I'm sorry to hear that." Nico shrugged, but Percy saw a glint of sadness in the boy's eyes.

"I have a friend form Texas. Well, I mean I just met him, but he said he was from Texas. Maybe you know him? His name is Luke," Percy said.

"Nope, I'm afraid I don't know him. Maybe I can meet him sometime," Nico replied, a small smile played on his lips.

Percy's parents seemed to notice the boy's change in demeanor and decided to change their focus to Percy. "So, Percy, how is school going? Keeping your grades up?" Poseidon asked.

"Yea, it's going fine," Percy mumbled, unhappy to have their focus on him now. "Annabeth helps me if I need help with anything."

"If you tried a little harder, maybe you wouldn't need help. You have two genius parents. You should be smart enough to figure things out on your own," Poseidon said in a slightly annoyed tone. "What about your lessons?"

"I'm still going. I finally got a blow on Master Ares." Poseidon seemed to lighten up with that news."

"You're still taking your medicine?" Sally asked.

Percy was silent for a moment, but he played it off as chewing his food. "Yea. Don't worry about it, mom." He glanced over at Nico, who was looking at him suspiciously.

"I'm just trying to be a good mother."

"Like you always have been," Percy mumbled under his breath, but his parents still heard him.

"Don't speak to your mother like that," Poseidon said raising his voice a little.

"What are you going to ground me? I don't really live here anymore, or have you been too busy with work to notice that?" Percy shot back.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes at his son. "Don't forget who pays for your apartment, your food, and your college education. Don't take that tone with me." Dinner continued on in near silence after that.

Finally, he was excused from the table. He grabbed Nico's arm and ran to his old room. His parents kept it looking the same, even after he moved out when he started college. Old posters of bands hung on the walls, a few books on the shelf, and a television on the wall opposite his bed. Nico glanced around the room silently. Percy really wasn't sure what to make of the boy anymore. A few nights ago his friends didn't even remember there being a Nico, and now his parents are having an awkward dinner conversation with the guy. Maybe they wouldn't remember Nico tomorrow, though. "I don't understand you," Percy blurted out suddenly.

Nico turned around and looked at him curiously. "That's kind of the point, Percy. You aren't supposed to know anything about me."

"Why?"

"It's safer for you that way." Nico turned back to look at the books Percy had. "Though, you're not doing a very good job of going unnoticed. You should also know they have already started to sink their teeth in you. It seems they have found you as well."

"Who are you talking about?"

Nico picked up one of the books and flipped through the pages. "Can't tell you." Percy groaned in frustration. "At least not yet. You should know that your normal life will soon come crashing down. The more you attract attention from them, the sooner you'll be thrown into my world."

"Your world?" Percy asked, he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Your world. My world. They are the same world in a physical sense, but people don't see everything that goes on around them. Your friends recall events differently than you, yes?" Percy nodded. "That's what I'm talking about. They won't know what is really going on, at least not unless they are exposed to things directly. Confusing, I know." Nico put the book back on the shelf, and then flopped down on Percy's bed.

"Well, won't you be drawing attention to me?" Nico shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter, I'm hard to detect. However, you are starting to 'blossom', and that makes you very easy to locate. It's how we found you. I mean if you prefer I leave you alone..." Nico trailed off.

"No!" Percy practically yelled. "I mean, no. I don't know what's going on, and here you are at least kind of guiding me. I just don't understand...how do I put this? The way you acted at the club and stuff. You seem to be kind of attached to me for someone on assignment."

Nico laughed. "I can separate my job from my personal life. As for my actions, I think you're kinda cute. Though, if you end up with the enemy, my attraction won't stop me from doing what I have to do. Wouldn't be the first time." A dark gleam ran through Nico's eyes. Percy knew that there was a story there, but he also knew he shouldn't push the subject. Something about Nico's eyes just radiated danger, something about them reminded Percy of that dark alleyway the other day. It was like his eyes were trying to suck Percy into the darkness of them.

"You think I'm cute?" Percy asked, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Nico gave a small chuckle, and rolled his eyes.

"You know you're attractive, Percy. You're confident of your looks." Percy raised an eyebrow at that. "Like I said, I've had to watch you for a while now. I'd say around a month. It's hard not to pick up on things. Like how you've been flirting with, like, three guys, four if you count me." Percy blushed, and Nico laughed when he saw it. "Though, I think I'll just have to make you mine." A look of lust gleamed in Nico's eyes for a moment. Nico glanced at the clock by Percy's bed. "I need to be going."

Percy frowned a little. He didn't want the boy in front of him to leave yet, but he wasn't entirely sure it was so he could get more answers from Nico. Instead of mysteriously vanishing, like he had last time, Nico stood up and walked out of Percy's bedroom. Percy stared after him a moment before he decided to follow. When they reached the streets Nico stopped and turned to look at Percy. "What if I need you?" Percy asked.

"I'll be watching, so don't worry about it." Nico moved closer to Percy, a sad look on his face. "Try and enjoy your last few days of normalcy, Percy." Nico trailed his hand down Percy's arm. Their gazes met, and Percy felt a slight urge to kiss the boy in front of him. That thought caught him a little off guard, and he blushed. As if he read Percy's mind, Nico smirked. He leaned in closer to Percy, and Percy let his eyes close.

The kiss never came, though. When Percy opened his eyes again, found himself alone. Nico had vanished, again. Percy groaned in exasperation. This boy was going to be the end of him, with all of his forwardness and pulling away before anything happened. Maybe it was for the best for now, though. Percy was still confused regarding his love life. Four guys, three of them were new and mysterious, and then there was Will, who has been around longer. He had no way of knowing when he would get to spend time with Nico to get to know him better, instead, he had to wait for the black haired boy to show back up. However, it might be a good idea to get to know the other two a little more, and spend more time with Will. He'd have to make sure to try and keep it all innocent though. He didn't really want to lead any of them on.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his phone until he found Jason's name. He typed out a quick text, asking if Jason would want to hang out again tomorrow. He hailed a taxi and got in once one stopped. He told the taxi driver the directions to his apartment, and the man began to drive. Percy's phone vibrated, it was Jason. Percy smiled to himself when he saw that Jason had said it was fine.

* * *

"Sorry I'm a little late," Jason said as he sat down across from Percy at the table. Percy and Jason had agreed to have lunch and hang out for a little while. "I had to work a little late. Then I had to drop something off with my boyfriend."

Percy tried to fight the frown that was beginning to form on his face. Of course this guy wasn't single, he was gorgeous. "Oh, it's fine."

Jason seemed to pick up on Percy's negativity. "You don't have a problem with me being gay do you?"

Percy snapped to full attention. "What? No, no. That's not it. I just kinda thought..."

Jason's eyebrows raised as he caught on to what Percy was trying to say. "Oh, I see. You thought I was cute," Jason said with a cocky smile. Percy nodded. "Well I mean, you're attractive, Percy, don't get me wrong, but yea I'm kind of dating. I mean if I wasn't, I'd probably go for you. I'm rambling now, aren't I?" Percy nodded as he laughed.

"It's fine, really. It's not a big deal, actually, it makes my life easier, anyways." Jason raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well, it's just I've kinda met like three new guys, including you, and there is another that I've known for a while. So, I'm just trying to figure things out."

"So, that's why you wanted to hang out?"

"Well, yes and no. I mean, I kind of liked just chilling with you yesterday. So, I thought it would be fun, but at the same time, I thought you were cute and wanted to see how things went."

Jason shrugged. "Like I said, maybe if I wasn't dating. I'm sure you'll figure your problem out though."

It was kind of a relief for Percy, as it meant his choice had gotten a little easier. He was a little disappointed though, the guy was very attractive and he was fun to be around. "So, what's your guy's name?"

"Apollo," Jason replied. He picked up his phone and pulled up a picture of the guy. Percy's jaw almost dropped. This guy looked like a model. He had perfect curly blonde hair. His skin was perfect. His eyes were a beautiful deep blue. "Yea, I met him shortly after I moved out here. We've been together ever since."

"That's really awesome that you met him soon after moving out here. Lucky, I guess. He's cute."

"Thanks. He's a keeper."

Percy thought of something. "So, is that why you ran away? You came out to your parents and they didn't approve of it?"

Jason's shoulders tensed a little. He sipped from his drink, and kept his eyes on the table. "No. It's more complicated than that. I really rather not talk about it. Maybe in the future."

It got quiet for a while after that. Both of them finished their food. They talked every now and then about small things. "Percy." Percy turned to see who had called his name. He spotted Luke on the sidewalk and motioned for the guy to come over. Luke smiled at Percy as he approached, but then his expression changed when he saw Jason. A frown formed on Luke's face, and his eyes narrowed. He sat down quietly next to Percy. The two blondes held each other's gazes for a moment, Jason's expression almost identical to Luke's.

Percy kept glancing between the two, unsure of what to say. Finally, he just asked the obvious question. "Do you two know each other?"

Neither of them seemed to want to answer, their eyes had become deadly. Percy felt something weird in the air, as if the air had become dry. Percy felt the hairs on his arm stand up. Percy cleared his throat and the two broke their locked gazes. "Unfortunately, yes," was Luke's quiet reply.

"I think I'm gonna go. I'll text you later Percy," Jason said. He got up and walked off before Percy could protest.

"What was that about?" he asked as he looked back at Luke.

Luke shrugged. "Long story. Maybe another time?"

"Did you two date, or something?"

Luke sighed, his expression turning back to his usual cheerful one. "No, it's just complicated. I'd rather not talk about it." Percy nodded. "Sorry about that though, I guess I ruined your lunch with him."

"It's ok. I'll just catch up with him later."

"So how do you know Jason?" Luke asked. He seemed very curious.

"Well, I bumped into him yesterday, after you left. I made him spill his coffee, so I bought him a new one and we talked for a while." Percy thought back to the previous day and to how Luke had spotted something and seemed to need to leave. "Wait, was that why you had to leave yesterday? You saw Jason?"

Luke didn't answer, so Percy figured he'd just keep staring at him until the guy caved. "Sort of. I did have to get to work, but yea, I saw him and didn't want to risk having to run into him. We just tend to try and stay away from each other." Percy's phone went off. It was Will, who wanted to know if he could stay at Percy's for the night. Percy texted back letting the boy know he could and focused back on Luke.

"So how was work?"

Luke groaned, ran a hand through his hair, and slouched in his chair. "It was hell. I don't even know why I'm awake right now. I should be asleep still." A mischievous smile spread across Luke's lips. "You could come back and keep me company in bed," he said with a wink.

Percy laughed. "Hmm. That does sound tempting. Maybe in the future, when I get to know you better." Luke pouted a little. "Sorry, not gonna work. Maybe if you're lucky I'll send you a picture later or something."

"Ha. What kind of picture?"

"Maybe I won't have clothes on, maybe I will," Percy said with a shrug.

"Well then, I'll have to behave so I can get that picture."

"No promises. Just a possibility." Percy checked his phone. "I hate to cut this short, but I should probably get home. Maybe we can hang out soon though."

Luke nodded. "Yea, just let me know, and I'll see if I'm free." Percy stood to give Luke a hug. Suddenly, Luke pulled him in by the collar and pressed his lips against Percy's. It shocked Percy at first, but he didn't stop Luke. He kissed him back for a few seconds before pulling away. "Was that good enough to get a picture?"

Percy laughed. "I'll think about it, ok? Not bad though." Percy turned and headed off towards his apartment.

* * *

Percy sat on the couch in his apartment. Will sat at his side, head rested on Percy's shoulder. Annabeth sat at their dining table, working on some homework. Grover sat in a chair, next to the couch eating some popcorn. The three guys were watching some horror movie Grover had suggested, while Annabeth somehow managed to not get distracted. Will slid his fingers into Percy's hand. He leaned up and gave Percy a kiss on the cheek, which got him a kiss on the forehead in return. Percy wasn't doing as good of a job as he had hoped of keeping things innocent with the guys.

Will leaned into Percy's neck and started kissing it, which made Percy release a small gasp. Grover turned his eyes towards them for a moment before he turned back to the movie. "You can take that on back to your room, Percy," he said.

Percy laughed. "Sorry, Grover." He stood up and grabbed Will's hand. He led them back into his room and shut the door. The blonde walked over to Percy's bed and sat down. He stripped his shirt off and then slipped out of his pants. As he was about to slip his underwear off Percy caught his hand. "Not tonight. I just want to enjoy your company for the night." Will smiled up at him and pulled Percy in for a kiss. He slipped Percy's shirt off and Percy maneuvered out of his jeans. He straddled himself between Will's legs. He trailed kisses down the boy's lean torso, but stopped when he reached the boy's navel. He grinned and leaned back up to kiss the boy quickly before he flopped down next to him.

Will let out a groan and cuddled up against Percy. "You are such a tease. Be glad you're so sexy."

Percy let out a chuckle. "Sorry, I couldn't help it." He leaned in and kissed Will one last time. "Goodnight."

"Night," Will mumbled into Percy's chest. Percy soon drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he was on a rooftop, rain pouring down on him. A figure emerged from the shadows. It was Nico, only he looked slightly younger. He wore a dark scowl, and his eyes seemed to dance with shadows. "What do you want?" he spat bitterly. "I told you I didn't want to see you again."

Percy's mouth moved on its own, but it wasn't Percy's voice that spoke. "I just wanted to try and get you to change your mind. I still care about you, think about what we could have together," the voice said.

The shadows seemed to darken around Nico as he became visibly angry. "I'm not coming with you. Now I suggest you go and leave me alone before I do something I regret."

"Why are you being like this? I thought you cared about me? I guess you're just as cold as I heard you were."

"This isn't about us!" Nico yelled. "This about you. I don't want to see you again." Nico turned to leave, but the person Percy was seeing things through grabbed his wrist.

"No, you can't just leave. Please don't leave me."

Nico turned back. The look in his eyes was startling. His eyes were full of utter darkness, like a black abyss. His voice was dark. "Let go of me." The hand didn't budge. Nico held out his hand and shadows were pulled into his hand to form a dagger. In one swift motion he swiped at the mystery person.

Percy shot up in bed, covered in sweat. For a brief second, he thought he saw someone standing in the corner of his room, but when he blinked his eyes nobody was there. His heart was pounding in his chest. He looked down at Will, who was still asleep. He ran a hand down his face and crawled out of bed. He walked into the kitchen to find Annabeth still at work at the table. "What are you still doing up?" he asked.

She looked up and took in Percy's sweaty appearance before she returned to her book. "Had to finish this. I take it you two had a good time?"

Percy was confused at first until he looked down at himself. He was still sweaty, and all he had on were his boxers. He looked in the mirror to see his hair a mess. "No. We didn't have sex. I just had a nightmare."

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed. Must have been a bad one, you're shaking a little." Percy glanced down at his hand, sure enough, his hand was shaking uncontrollably. Percy walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He sat down at the table with Annabeth and drank it slowly. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I'm not really sure what to say. It was confusing. It seemed so real. It was kind of frightening."

"Well Percy, nightmares usually are frightening," Annabeth replied with only a hint of sarcasm. Then her demeanor softened. "Was it like the dreams you've been having?" Percy shook his head. "I'm just worried about you, Percy. You've been acting a little strange, and the dreams seem to be getting to you."

Percy finished his glass of water. He stood back up and put the cup in the sink. He headed back to his room without another word. A shadow passed along the far wall of his bedroom like it had the other day. Percy slowly walked around the corner to once again find nothing there. Percy ran a hand through his hair. He just stood there for a moment looking around the room. Why was this happening to him? The better question was, what was happening to him?

Percy crawled back into bed and curled up behind Will, who unconsciously shifted closer to Percy in his sleep. Percy kissed his neck before he lay his head down. It took him longer to fall asleep this time. He stared at the ceiling for a while and at the walls, in an attempt to catch a shadow move. His eyes soon started to droop and he fell back asleep.

In this dream he stood on the streets of New York City, only everything was in ruin. A few buildings were on fire, others crumbled to the ground. Ash filled the air, it falling like rain all around the city. Bodies lay on the street around him. A voice spoke in his head. "_This is what will come to pass if you go with him. Go with him and the world will fall. He's using you._"

"Who?" Percy asked out loud.

"_The boy of darkness. He will lead you down a path of destruction. He is a threat. He is dangerous." _Nico suddenly appeared in front of him. His eyes the black abyss they had been in Percy's previous dream. He held his hand out for Percy to take. Percy slowly reached for his outstretched hand. When he grasped Nico's hand Nico sank his fingernails into Percy's wrist. The world darkened around them.

Percy's parents appeared nearby, they were in chains. With a wave of Nico's hand shadows formed around them. "No!" Percy yelled, but Nico didn't stop. The shadows sharpened to tips, like swords. There were hundreds around his parents. Nico closed his fist tight and the shadows impaled his parents. Shadows closed in around them and dragged Percy's parent's corpses away into nothingness.

Percy looked back at Nico, his appearance had become frightening. In the pure black of his eyes blood red irises appeared. His skin had drained of all color. Even his voice had changed, it now bordered on demonic. "Come with me, Percy. I'll help you. I'll take care of you. No one needs to interfere, though, they'll all just hold you back. They all must go."

"No! Stop! Please stop!" Percy struggled against Nico's grasp, but to no avail. His futile attempts were drawing blood from where Nico had claws in Percy's wrist. "Don't do this."

Nico tilted his head to the side, in what should have been an innocent thing, but it was just frightening, given the boy's current state. Nico pulled Percy closer and whispered in his ear in that same evil voice, but now had the sound of a smaller child. "Ring around the rosie." Annabeth, Will, and Grover appeared behind Nico, but Percy couldn't run to them. They just stared at Percy with blank expressions. "This evil thing it knows me." The shadows began to form around Percy's friends, hands crawling out to grasp at the three of them. "Ashes, ashes." The hands ripped his friends apart, their screams filled the air. Nico's teeth had become fangs. A dark screech emanated from his mouth and he lunged at Percy.

_Yay for creepy slightly demonic Nico! And there is my Diablo 3 influence. So, Percy's parents met Nico. Percy finally has someone who acknowledged the boy. Wtf is up with Jason and Luke? Luke stole his dog, thats what. No? I feel like I should know this since I'm about to start Chapter 7...hmmm. So, how did you like the chapter? How do you like Nico so far? If he seems odd to you, good. He's supposed to be. There's a reason he might seem slightly bipoloar. How did you like the last scene? :D. I loved writing it. Did the last dream creep you out? Cause it did me. Don't write creepy stuff in the dark at 3 am with a creepy version of 'Ring around the rosies' playing. Anyways, I really want to hear what you guys think about it so far. This chapter. Thoughts. Remember big reveal next week. Let that sit on your mind all week. Mwhahaha. So, leave me reviews. Shoot me a message. I love talking to and hearing from my readers. Until next week. See ya._


	5. Chapter 5

_So, I see you all liked the dark and creepy dream. Good good. I do like that Nico's characterization is liked. Different, but still kind of the same. Definitely a mysterious vibe. That will continue even after the plot reveal. So, I was thinking the other day and I'm really not sure how long this story is going to be. I can tell you we aren't even near the halfway mark. Hmm. Oh, and heads up for next week, I'll be doing a reviewer shout-out. So, if you are leaving reviews I'll go check them out and put your name up and write you a little comment. I see other authors do it. :'( I just want to be a cool kid. Anyways, this week we are doing something special. Braigi will be joining us._

_Me: So, this is 5. The chapter that will destroy me._

Bragi: **Slaps Son of Hades**

Me: So hurtful. What if they hate me? What if they leave me?

Bragi: Be a man. You did fine.

Me:So, you like my idea of it? :(. You finally let me make Nico a total badass.

Braigi:Correction: I allowed you to finally get past your first base love affair with Nico's powers and absolutely **sterling **personality.

Me: . Nico is awesome. My final question is how easy is it to beta my work running off one hour of sleep and being busy writing an essay all day? Also why aren't you in bed?

Braigi: I may be a slave driver, but I do like to work hard for my writers~ And, I am not in bed because your work required...concerted attention ^.^

_Oh, also if you tried messaging me last week and didn't get a reply, or it was really delayed, I apologize. My week kind of got busy around Wednesday. Plus any free time I could spare was busy working on writing._

_Also, let it be known that I've spent the past week, and some before that, worrying over this chapter. This is it. The moment I'm sure you've all wanted is finally here. You finally get to know what is going on. I know some of you will keep on reading, hopefully. I talked a little to a few and they are all "stop worrying, you are doing great." Doesn't change the fact that my plot choice could make or break my story. Braigi has had me run through the plot synopsis and things to come so much. I feel confident that it will be a good story, I'm just not sure how everyone else will feel. Anyways, enough ranting. Let us get to the chapter. You've all waited long enough._

_Disclaimer: Sigh. If only I owned Percy Jackson_

_Warning: Slash, Language, eventual smut, probably making Percy seem like a whore._

Chapter 5

"Percy! Percy, wake up!" Percy shot up in bed. Will was sitting next to Percy with a concerned look on his face. "Are you ok? You were screaming." Percy's body felt cold, and he was covered in sweat. His entire body was shaking.

Percy nodded as he ran a hand through his hair, but Will didn't look convinced. There was a knock at the door before Annabeth stuck her head in. "I'm sorry to barge in, but is everything alright? You were screaming pretty loud, Percy," she said as she came to sit on the bed.

"I-I'm fine. It was just a bad dream," Percy replied.

"Another one? Percy that's two just last night. Maybe you really should talk to your parents or a counselor about this."

"Wait, just last night? Has he been having them a lot lately?" Will asked. Annabeth nodded. "Percy why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what? They were just dreams," Percy said.

"Just dreams? Percy you couldn't remember even getting to bed for two nights. You also didn't remember the nights as they happened. You seemed to imagine up a guy. What was his name?" Annabeth said.

"Nico," Percy mumbled.

"Yea, that was it. Percy, how can you not see how troubling this is?"

"Percy, I'm with Annabeth on this. You really should go talk to someone about this," added Will.

"I didn't make him up! My parents saw him yesterday, he was at their place with me at the family dinner," Percy said, almost in a yelling.

Will didn't look happy about that. "I haven't even got to meet your parents yet. So, you had over someone you just met to meet them? I thought you told me you hadn't taken an interest in someone else?"

Percy groaned at what he pretty much admitted. "It's not like that. It's hard to explain, ok? Just trust me." He reached for his phone and scrolled to his dad's number. "The point is, my dad can prove that he's real."

Percy put the call on speaker. It rang a few times before Poseidon answered. "Percy? What are you doing calling this early? We barely ever hear from you at all."

"Sorry, I figured you were already up," Percy said.

"Oh, I was. Your mother and I were just about to head to work. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually. Can you tell Annabeth here that we had a guy named Nico over at dinner last night?"

There was a pause on the phone, he heard his parents mumble to each other in the background. "Percy, are you feeling alright?"

"What are you talking about, dad?"

"There was no one else at dinner last night."

Percy saw Will and Annabeth frown at him out of the corner of his eyes. It figured they wouldn't remember. Why would they? Nobody else seemed to. "Thank you, Mr. Jackson. I think Percy is feeling a little under the weather today. I'll make sure he gets some rest," Annabeth said.

"Alright, thank you, Annabeth. If you need us you have our number," Poseidon said before he hung up the phone.

"Percy, I'm really worried about you. I'd really like for you to go see a counselor today," Annabeth said. She looked so concerned that it tore at Percy's heart. He knew she meant well, but deep down, he knew he was right about Nico. Apparently, he wasn't going to be getting any help to proving it, though. He figured he'd give her some reassurance and nodded agreement, even though he probably wouldn't go see a therapist.

"Alright, I need to get ready. So, if you'll excuse me," Percy said. He grabbed some clean clothes and made his way out of his room and into the bathroom. He slid his boxers off and turned on the water. He stood there a moment to let the water warm, while his mind already began to wander. He stepped under the steaming water and let his muscles relax.

"Percy." Percy snapped his eyes open at the sound of his name. It came out as a whisper from somewhere in the bathroom. He pulled the curtain back, but nobody was there. There was something written on the fogged up mirror. Today is the day. A chill ran down Percy's spine. He guessed this was Nico's way of warning him. This was just what he needed to go with his day so far, it had already been going so well. The worst part was Percy didn't even know what to expect. He didn't know who or what Nico was.

Percy turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and began to dry himself off. He had wrapped his towel around his waist when Will came into the bathroom. Percy quickly wiped the mirror so Will didn't see what was written on it. Will wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and leaned up to kiss Percy. "Please don't be mad at me. I'm just concerned," Will said timidly.

Percy shook his head. "I'm not mad at you. I know that you're just concerned. Things are just weird for me right now, I'm trying to figure things out. Maybe it's all just stress."

Will nodded. "Maybe. Just know I'm here if you need me." Percy hugged Will and kissed him on the forehead. The blonde maneuvered out of Percy's arms and began to strip and he got in the shower to get ready for school.

* * *

"Hey, Percy!" Percy stopped walking at the sound of Luke's voice. The taller blonde came jogging up to Percy and Percy continued on his way. "Going to class?"

"Yea, not really looking forward to it."

"Oh, that's cool. I was just on my way to work. You know...we could both ditch and hang out." Percy smiled while keeping his face forward. "I just feel like today we should go do something."

"Like what?" Percy finally looked at Luke.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure we can figure something out. I could take you to work with me. Show you around. I'm sure my boss would like to meet you." Luke let a big smile spread across his face.

Percy laughed. "Have you been talking about me at work, or something?"

Luke shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, just that I met this cool guy named Percy."

"Uh-huh. Well, how about a raincheck? I got a test today, so I can't really miss. How about after school?"

"Maybe. I guess just text me when you're done if you want to come check the place out." Something flickered in the corner of Luke's eyes, but Percy couldn't quite place it. Luke looked ahead of them and his smile fell. Percy followed his gaze to spot Jason leaning against a tree. "I'll see you later, Percy." Without waiting for Percy's reply Luke walked off.

"Hey, Jason," Percy said as he got closer. Jason looked up from his phone and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh-I guess this is a little weird. I just hoped I'd run into you on your way to class. So, I could kind of explain about yesterday."

"Oh, yea, I was kind of hoping one of you would," Percy said as Jason fell into step with him.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story. Partly about a friend of mine. He had a bad break up with Luke, I guess is one way to put it. Just be careful around him, Percy. He's not all the warm smiles he appears to be."

"Is that all there is to it?"

Jason chewed on his lip. "I-I don't know if I can tell you more." Jason seemed to think to himself for a moment. He let out a long sigh and mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing." He smiled at Percy. "Just enjoy your day at school." Jason silently turned and walked off. Percy stared at his retreating form until he was out of sight. Yes, today was not a normal day. The bad part was that whatever was supposed to happen hadn't happened yet. So, Percy knew he had more to look forward to. He could only groan at that thought. The day was already long enough. Clouds started to drift in across the sky, the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. Percy sighed and walked into his building before it would start raining.

He saw Grover not too far ahead of him and jogged to catch up to his best friend. "Hey, Grover."

"Hey, Perce. You ok?"

Percy let out a sigh. "Annabeth told you?" Grover nodded. "It's not really a big deal. It was just a bad dream."

"You seem to be having a lot of them lately, Percy."

"I know. It's nothing to worry about, though." Grover looked skeptical. "I don't need a therapist to 'fix' me, there's nothing wrong with me."

"We don't think you're crazy, dude. Maybe you could just go and vent your problems though. You don't talk to anyone about them a lot of the times, not even me. Everyone needs to vent, man."

Percy grumbled. "I'll think about it." Grover and Percy bumped fists and Percy headed for his first class.

* * *

It was Percy's third class of the day when chaos finally hit. Percy tapped his pencil against his open book as his professor gave a lecture. Percy tried to pay attention, but all this anticipation was getting to him. If everything was about to change, would any of this matter? The projector turned on by itself, which caught Percy's attention. The words, 'get out', were projected on the wall. Everyone seemed to notice, and even the professor stopped his ranting to look at it. Percy's heart sped up, he knew that was directed at him.

He sat next to a window, so he rose a little and looked out the window. Two heavily armored black vans were parked outside. Men in heavy body armor and riot shields hopped out. A rack of guns extended out of the back of the vans and the men grabbed one each. Lightning flashed across the sky. A chill ran down Percy's spine as the men advanced towards his building. They were coming for him.

A wave of panic overcame Percy. He had to get out of there, and fast. Would Nico show up and help him? Would he be on his own? His questions were soon answered as the door flew open. Nico stood in the doorway. His usual innocent features had been replaced with a look of seriousness. "Excuse me? I'm in the middle of a lecture," Percy's professor said. Nico didn't pay him any attention. He just scanned the room for Percy. When Nico spotted Percy he was at Percy's side in a flash.

"I told you to get out," Nico said darkly. It sent a shiver down Percy's spine. He couldn't help to think back to the dreams he had the night before. He flinched when Nico grabbed his arm. The boy gave Percy an odd look, but yanked him out of his desk anyways.

"Where do you think you are going with my student? You can't just barge in here like that! Don't make me call the police," the professor yelled behind them. Percy's focus didn't leave the back of Nico's head as he was dragged into the hall. In silence, Nico led him down the hall and to the stairs. Nico looked down, as did Percy. The swat team outside was moving up the stairs. One of them spotted Nico and Percy and yelled.

Nico gripped Percy's arm tighter and moved quickly up the stairs. Why was Nico taking him to the roof? They would be trapped up there. "Nico, there's no way out up there," Percy tried to reason, but the boy didn't respond. Why was he letting himself be dragged away by this boy? That dream last night had seemed so real. What if it had been a warning? Strange things had been happening, so it didn't seem unreasonable. The first dream seemed more like a memory. The way Nico had acted in it was slightly frightening. He could be getting himself killed by going with Nico. For all he knew, these men were here to arrest Nico. Instead of taking Percy to the roof, Nico pulled him into the top floor. It had been shut down for some work to be done, so nobody was up here but them.

Nico pulled Percy into an empty room and shut the door. "I need you to stay here for a moment," Nico whispered.

"No, I want to go. You can't just take me like this!"

"Shh. Keep your voice down or they'll hear you."

"How do I know you aren't the one I should be trying to stay away from?"

"You'll just have to trust me. If you don't want to come with me that's fine, but you'll still have to get out of here. However, they aren't just going to let you walk out the front door. You want out, you'll need my help."

"I've taken martial arts. I can defend myself."

Nico laughed quietly under his breath. "Did you not notice their guns, Percy? They don't exactly shoot bullets, but they're still effective enough to take you down before you get close to them."

"And you can take them out?"

Nico nodded. "Trust me. I'm not trying to hurt you, Percy. I actually want to see you safely out of this."

"You could have led them to me," Percy whispered harshly.

"I told you I'm not really trackable. You've attracted enough attention on your own without my help." Percy could hear the swat team come through the door at the end of the hall. If it wasn't so quiet, they would have been undetectable. "Stay here. Run when you get a chance." Percy nodded and Nico slowly opened the door. It was left open, just enough for Percy to get out when the time came. From there, Percy could see the soldiers down the hall. They stopped searching rooms when Nico came into the hall.

They pointed their guns at Nico and told him to freeze. Nico didn't reply, but something told Percy something bad was about to happen. Shadows radiated off Nico's body in waves. All the lights in the hall burst. Two of the soldiers fired their guns but the shadows moved in around Nico to absorb the blast. Nico extended his hand out towards the guards and a tentacle made of shadow extended down from the ceiling to grab one of the men and flung him into the wall. Percy figured he had to be dreaming. This couldn't be real.

Nico crossed his arms over his chest to form an 'X'. The walls around him creaked as shadows pulled in towards him. Nico yelled at the top of his lungs and spread his arms. Shadow spikes erupted from the ground. They moved fast at the swat team, who scattered to get out of the way. One of them called to open fire, but Nico held out his hand and the shadows tightened around the guns, crushing them. They seemed to be afraid now, but they didn't move. Percy couldn't even move. He was frozen in place. Was Nico really the dark thing from his dreams? Percy remembered what Nico had said the other day, "Though, if you end up with the enemy, my attraction won't stop me from doing what I have to do." Would Nico kill him? Would Nico kill his friends and family to get Percy to come with him?

Nico gathered a ball of shadows in his hand. He threw it like a baseball at the swat team. It exploded, sending all the men into the walls. They didn't get back up. Were they dead? Had Nico killed them? This thought frightened Percy. Nico might turn on him. Percy gathered himself and ran out of the door and down the hall. Nico called after him, but Percy didn't stop. He ran to the stairs and headed down. The door at the bottom opened and more men entered the stairwell. This was just great, Percy was now trapped. He turned around and headed for the only other he could run to, the roof.

The rain was falling hard when he came outside. Lightning flashed overhead. There was no place else to run. It looked like this was the end for Percy. He walked to the edge and looked down, it was too far to jump. He'd die if he tried. An odd sound behind Percy drew his attention. Nico was standing a few feet behind him. He looked at Percy with a concerned expression. "You don't have to be afraid of me, Percy. You and I aren't so different, as you'll find out soon enough."

"W-What are you?" Percy asked. The shadows were dancing in Nico's eyes just like in his dream.

"You could say I'm special. Just like you are. I can explain all of this later." Nico moved closer to Percy and stood next to him on the edge. "Just trust me." He held out his hand towards Percy. All Percy could think about was his dream last night though, the way Nico had done the exact same thing in his nightmare.

"Tell me what you are first."

Nico sighed. "I don't have time to tell you everything. I can explain it all if you come with me. We don't really have a term for what we are, we just call ourselves Specials. We aren't like everyone else, Percy. You're in danger for what you are. Please just come with me, and my boss will explain everything."

Nico's eyes were pleading with Percy. The door to the rooftop burst open and the second team surrounded the two boys. "I don't really have a choice do I?" Percy asked.

"There's always been a choice, Percy, and you'll always have one. I promise. Trust me, please." The men raised their guns and pointed them at Percy and Nico. Percy gave a silent nod. He reached out and took Nico's hand. The boy pulled Percy to him and wrapped his arms around Percy's waist. The men pulled their triggers and fired at the two. Nico pulled them over the edge and the two fell. Percy screamed. As the ground grew closer darkness seemed to envelop them. Percy blacked out.

* * *

Percy woke up to the sound of voices. Except, he wasn't awake, not really. It was like he was drifting between conscious and unconscious. He could make out three people standing over him, but he couldn't make them out. Everything was blurry. One of them sounded angry with one of the smaller ones. "I did what I had to do. He's here isn't he? I did what you asked. I watched him and I got him here. We learned they were moving in on him, so I made sure to get him out." It was Nico. He was being defensive about something. Was it about Percy?

Someone sighed. "Alright, at least he's here where we can keep him safe. Good job, both of you."

"Nico did most of the work. I just thought he could use a more sociable approach. Ow, what the hell, Nico? It's not my fault you're not that great with people." That voice sounded familiar. It was on the tip of Percy's tongue. Why couldn't he think clearly?

"Can we not abuse my boyfriend?" a voice said from across the room.

"Quiet. He's waking up."

Percy's eyes blinked a few time. Nico's face was the first he saw. The boy was watching him carefully. A small smile played across his lips. "Welcome back. Shadow traveling isn't for everyone, I suppose."

A man with shoulder length brown hair stood to Percy's left. He was an older man, probably around Percy's parents age. He was very tall, probably a head over everyone in the room. He looked serious, but there was something warm and inviting about the man. "Hello, Percy. I've been waiting quite some time to meet you. My name is Chiron, and I'm in charge of this little organization."

Percy sat up and rubbed his head. It felt like it was going to split open. Across the room, sitting on a chair was the boy Jason had shown him. Jason's boyfriend, Apollo. He was just as dazzling as his picture made him out to be. "I think you already know who I am, Jason said he mentioned me."

Jason! That was the voice. Percy whipped his head around to see the blonde standing beside Nico. "Hey, Percy," Jason said awkwardly.

"W-What's going on? You," Percy said pointing at Jason. "You were with Nico? You were helping him? Is that why you were there that day? To become friends so you could help watch me?" Percy was getting angry.

"Percy, you have to understand, the enemy was getting close to you. We had to take some extreme measures. I mean, I really did enjoy hanging out with you. I do consider you my friend, but yes, I did have to keep an eye on you."

Percy's head was starting to spin. It was all too much. What all had been set up in his life by these people? "I feel sick," Percy said. Nico handed him a pill and a cup of water. Percy hesitated to drink it, unsure of what it would do.

"Relax, it's just going to help calm your nerves. It won't knock you out or anything," Nico said.

Percy slowly reached out and took the pill. He swallowed it and downed the entire cup of water in a single gulp. "Can someone please explain what you people are? Are you like superheroes or something? Are you real life X-men?"

Apollo snorted. "What is it with all the noobies that think we need a label? Superheroes, mutants, witches, gods. You name it, someone has called us that. There's not really a name for us, dude. We just call ourselves Specials, because, that's what we are, special," Apollo said in a bored tone. Apparently, they had to explain this a lot.

"You're like us, Percy," Jason said. "We're just not sure what you can do yet."

Percy was like them? No, that couldn't be. Percy was just a normal guy. "I know this must be a lot to take in, Percy. We will leave you to rest. Come find me in my office when you are ready to talk," Chiron said calmly. Everyone left, leaving Percy alone in the unfamiliar room. What had he gotten himself into? What was going to happen to him? Percy sighed and jumped off the bed. He needed to go talk to that Chiron guy. The answers to everything he'd been looking for were finally here for him to take.

_Don't hate me? On the bright side I finally got to make Nico a total badass. And no they aren't superheroes that run around in tights. Not really even like the guys off of the show Heroes. The plot of who Chiron and his men are will be at the beginning of the next chapter. It is an interesting twist on things. The cause of what they are will be in a later chapter, haven't written it yet. Couldn't think of a name to call them, so I settled with the name placeholder I used with Braigi when talking about them. I hope you all liked it, or will at least stick with me until next chapter or so. Like I said, more answers next chapter._


	6. Chapter 6

_Ah, so you all do like my plot? Well, then I guess I can take a breath of air. For now. I can honestly say this one is seemingly more popular than my other fic. I think its at like 1,340 hits. Something like that. In other news, as I stated last week in my other fic I am intrigued at the concept of having artwork up for this fic as well. So, if there are any inspiring artists that can do some good sketches I would love you forever. Just of a few characters: Percy, Nico, Luke, and Jason. Possibly a few others, they are maybes: Chiron, Percy's parents, Will, Annabeth, Apollo, and other characters that I can't disclose at this time. Please let me know if you think you are up to it. Also, I have a devianArt. You can go find me at XSonofHadesX. On there I'll eventually include that artwork if I get it. Possibly just some imagery from online if not. I'll probably do some character bios. It'll give you an idea of what they look like, though I may not include that if I don't get artwork. Stuff like age and personality, though. I'll probably rant about the main characters and their personalities for a bit. Now, for something very important, so please read this._

**_Notice: Posting days will be going through some changes in the up coming weeks. I'm about to be working with four stories, so I want to give time to each one. Therefore, I will make separate days for each of them. Sola Amor Veritas (in-universe) will be on Mondays, Children of Loss (new fic) will be posted on Fridays, A Tale of Love and Thrones will be on Tuesdays and I will use Saturday as my extra chapter day, Choke will be on Sunday. So, everyone prepare yourself for those changes. They will start this next week. So not this one, but the next. This one will be normal, and then on Sunday I'll start it by posting Choke._**

_Ok, anyways. This is shout out day to all my faithful readers. Here we go:_

_Grave of Maria: Your explanation is here :D. Also I am happy I creeped you out...I mean, what? In other news, get to work on Promises :P._

_Make-it-Now-or-Never: Hmm. Well you get your answer at the end of the chapter. Also, not to be masochist or whatever, but the suffering brings joy to my soul. Mwhaha. Your reviews make me laugh, since they are mainly about my cliffhanger endings._

_Reining3: Yes! Though, I'm not sure how I'm picturing it working for this scenario is how he shadow travels in the books. Mine is more the shadows come to him and swallow him, or he just turns to shadow and vanishes. Take your pick. Thank you, I'm glad you are liking Nico. He's...well he's something. Damaged is a good word for him. It might make people sad that he is going to shift slightly from this point, but he will keep his mysterious vibe going until the end._

_Want your name up there? Review :D. I'll end up doing this again maybe in a month. I just finished chapter 8 like two days ago. I must say Nico's story arc took an unexpected turn in that chapter. Like, I'm not sure, it just came to me and was like 'omg this is awesome'. Oh, and speaking of Nico. Next chapter you get to have some from his POV. Just a look at what is going on in his head. One last thing. Everyone should go check out this story. I like to support my readers. Go look at Run Like Hell by Make-it-Now-or-Never. It is a crossover with PJ and Kane Chronicles. Also if anyone wants to beta her she is wanting one._

Chapter 6

Percy made his way through the metal corridors. Many doors lay on either side of each hall he traversed. He passed a few people on the way. They all gave him odd looks. Every one of them looked like any normal person Percy might run into on the street. He felt scared and out of place.

As he turned a corner he found Nico standing next to an elevator. The dark haired boy wore a blank expression as he watched Percy walk towards him. "Decided to come get your answers? I figured you'd followed right after Chiron. God knows you were begging me to tell you everything," Nico said with a smirk.

"This-This is real?" Nico nodded. "Back at the school. How did you-?"

Nico held out his hand and shadows danced like flames in Nico's hand. "Shadow manipulation, is the term we use. I just bend the shadows to my will, I can also bend light."

"Light? But that's not shadow."

"No, but light and shadow go hand in hand. When light is taken away, you get shadow. The same is applied when you take away shadow."

The elevator arrived and Nico and Percy entered the elevator. "What about Jason or Apollo?" Nico pressed the button to the top floor.

"Jason primarily controls electricity. You saw his handy work back at the school. The lightning storm. Apollo controls fire. He can bend flames that already are present, like from a lighter, or he can create them."

"None of you know what I can do?"

"Not fully, while I had you under surveillance I noticed a few things. I can tell you that your power is something mental, but beyond that, I don't have a guess." The elevator came to a halt and the door opened. Nico motioned for Percy to exit. Percy walked out slowly, Nico brushing past him and led Percy down the hall. This hall had fewer doors. The one at the very end was slightly bigger than the others. Nico stopped at the door and waited for Percy to catch up. "He's waiting for you inside. Ask him whatever you want, and he'll answer any questions you have. Don't be afraid of him, he's not bad at all."

Nico stepped back to let Percy enter the door. Percy looked at Nico before he reached for the doorknob. "Thanks, Nico."

Nico cocked his head to the side. "For what?"

"For back at the school. Getting me out of there."

Nico's lips thinned. "Don't mention it, Percy. Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Welcome to the organization." After that Nico vanished into the shadows, leaving Percy alone in the hallway. Percy knocked on the door once.

"Come in," he heard Chiron call. Percy gulped before he opened the door. The room was a large office, two large glass windows on the left and right side of the far side of the room. A large wooden desk sat between the two windows. Pictures hung on the wall that separated the windows. Chiron sat at the desk. He looked up from some papers he was looking over and smiled at Percy. "Percy, I'm glad you decided to come have a talk."

"Yea, Nico said you'd have all the answers I've been wanting."

Chiron nodded. "That I do. I know you must be very confused at the events of the past few days. You've been through a hard time. Ask me anything you like, and I'll give you an honest answer. It's the least I can do for you after your traumatic time getting here."

Percy walked farther into the room and took a seat across the desk from Chiron. "Well, I guess my first question would have to be, who are you? What is all of this?" Chiron smiled at Percy and reclined back in his chair.

"My name is Chiron, and like I said, I'm in charge of this organization, the United Nations Intelligence Task Force. U.N.I.T for short. We are a branch of the government that-"

"Which government?" Percy interrupted.

"All of them. The United Nations funds us and we make sure they can run the world smoothly. We fight to make the world a better place to live in. What else would you like to know?"

Percy thought for a moment before speaking. "How did you find me?"

Chiron rubbed his beard for a moment. "We're not really sure what set you off. Most people start showing signs at a younger age, but you manifested after high school, an odd occurrence. You gave off a lot of power waves. So, we figured you were an important one. Nico is my best agent, and the hardest to detect. So, I had him watch you very closely."

"All of those shadows I saw, the alleyway or moving across the wall of my room, they were Nico?"

Chiron nodded. "Yes, he is unique, the only one of his kind that I have found. Nobody else that I know of can do what he does. Methods like sticking to the shadows were why I needed him on the job though, so he didn't draw too much attention when he spoke to you." Chiron eyed Percy for a moment. "I would say you should watch yourself around Nico. He's not my warmest agent, and can sometimes send mixed signals. He's...a bit of a troubled youth."

Percy nodded and figured he should switch topics. "The first night Nico came to me, why didn't he take me with him like he talked about?"

Chiron's face grew grim. "It wouldn't be something you probably would have noticed. An enemy agent showed up at the bar and Nico had to get out. However, we had agreed that kidnapping you wasn't the proper method in getting you here, so he left you be for the time."

"Why can't my friends remember him? Why did they remember the first two nights different?"

"Memory wiping. You seem to be resistant to it, but normal people are not. We have someone that can do it, as do the enemy. We apply it so that the world doesn't see what we do. Because, sometimes we are forced to display our abilities in public, and we don't need that ending up on the news."

"You're talking about these other people, who are they? Nico brought them up several times."

"Well, they are the real reason we exist. We are here to make sure they don't do their job. They want to keep the world as it is. Corrupt, deteriorating, and to keep people in a state of suffering. A kind of the rich get richer while the poor get poorer thing."

Percy was silent for a moment before another question popped into his head. "Nico said I should be careful who I trust and mentioned those people were already sinking their teeth into me. What was that about?"

Chiron sighed and leaned forward, elbows pressed on the table and his fingers interlocking below his chin. "They discovered you the same way we did. They were watching you the same as we were, but not as closely. Nico was trying to warn you about that, without telling you point blank what was happening. They were trying to get close to you. You'll learn more about that later. Is there anything else?"

"Well, going back to the memory thing, why were they trying to make me forget? I felt like I was going crazy."

"That's part of the reason they did it. They wanted you to feel like it was a dream, that it wasn't real. They hoped Nico would back off of you, or they could intercept him. I think they might have hoped you would have pushed him away after you felt you were going crazy." Chiron gave him a sympathetic smile.

Percy rubbed his forehead. "What are Jason and Nico in all of this? What do they do, job wise?"

"They are my agents." Chiron let out a chuckle. "I guess you could call this a big spy game. Agent espionage missions and all that. They do the field work and interact with people like you that we try to bring in. They sometimes come with me when I handle business with the government officials. Their biggest part of the job is handling enemy agents. They are essentially trained assassins, of a sort. Not so much with the martial arts skills that you have learned, but their abilities make them deadly. You saw what Nico can do back at your college."

"You found them all? Jason said he ran away from home and came here. Was that because of you?"

Chiron nodded. "I found Jason back in California. I went to his parents to talk to them about this, but his step-mother wasn't the nicest person. Jason ended up running away and I brought him back here. Nico...Nico was a bit of a different story. He actually found me. He was young and I was impressed with his abilities." Chiron smiled at Percy again. Percy couldn't help but feel a fatherly vibe from this man. "Anything else? Feel free to ask."

"I guess my last question is, why is this happening to me?"

Chiron's smile fell. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he swiveled in his chair. "That is a little hard to explain. We think you are special...more special than the rest of us. Something about you they desperately want. You are meant to change the world, Percy."

* * *

Soon, Percy finished his line of questions and Chiron said he was dismissed. He clicked a button on his desk and in a flash Nico was sitting in the chair next to Percy. "Nico, if you wouldn't mind showing Percy to his new room," Chiron said. Nico nodded, he stood and motioned for Percy to follow him.

"Wait, I have to stay here?" Percy asked. All of a sudden, he felt like a prisoner in all of this. Nico's eyes reflected sadness for Percy.

"I'm sorry, Percy. It's the way it has to be for a while," Nico whispered.

Chiron nodded. "Only for a time. We need to make sure you can take care of yourself in the real world. You'll stay here for a while, we will learn what you can do, and then we will train you. After that, I will give you a choice of going back to your normal life or remaining here with U.N.I.T."

Percy groaned in frustration. "What about my friends? School? My parents?"

Chiron folded his arms across his chest. "Don't worry, Percy. We will take care of all of that. You'll be able to leave in a few days. We will let you go back to your apartment and get your things. Jason or Nico will escort you there, though. I'm sorry, but you'll have to trust me when I say it's for your own good."

Percy nodded in silence. He turned and left the room. Nico tossed a final look at Chiron before following Percy out the door. They walked to the elevator in silence. Nico pressed a button and the elevator began to descend. Finally Nico broke the silence. "All of the beds are underground. We have a source of artificial sunlight that will shine in through a window during the day, so you don't feel so trapped." Percy just nodded silently. Nico pat Percy on the back. "Its not so bad, Percy. You'll find yourself enjoying life here within a few days' time, a few weeks at most."

The elevator came to a stop and Nico led Percy through the labyrinth of doors. There seemed to be a lot of rooms. Do that many people actually live here? "What do you all do for food?" Percy asked.

Nico didn't look back at him, he just kept walking forward. "Second floor, we have a cafeteria. Not like a school cafeteria, the food there is actually really good. There's a game room on the fourth floor. The higher levels are the offices. The lowest floor underground is for power training. You'll get used to the place in no time." Nico came to stop at a door. "Here we are. This will be your new room. Keep the number memorized." Nico opened the door and Percy stepped inside.

The room was actually a pretty decent size. There was a queen sized bed in one corner. A book shelf sat against the opposite wall. Towards the back was a door, Percy assumed it was the bathroom. A nice sized flat screen was on the wall in front of the bed. A door sat open by the bathroom door, leading into a walk in closet. "Wow," Percy exclaimed. "You guys have it nice."

Nico chuckled. "Yea, government funding kind of has it perks. Try becoming an agent and see the nice things you can put in your room."

"Can I see yours?"

Nico eyed him for a moment. "Maybe another time. I don't really like people going in my room."

Jason poked his head in to the room. "Hey, guys. How you like it here so far, Percy?"

"Not too bad, I guess," Percy said as he flopped down on his new bed. It felt perfect.

"Jason, would you mind sticking with Percy? Show him where we eat when its time. I have to go take care of something," Nico said. Percy tossed him a funny look. Did Nico want away from him? He had been pretty forward the past few days.

Jason nodded. "Yea, no problem." Nico gave a wave to Percy before he left. "So, you talked to Chiron. Did that clear up everything for you?" Jason came and sat down next to Percy on the bed.

Percy sat up and nodded. "Yea, I think. I mean, I'm still confused about a few things, but I guess I'll figure it all out."

"I imagine he didn't tell you everything right off. It would be a lot to take in."

"So, I hear you control electricity."

"That I do. Want to see?" Jason smiled mischievously and Percy nodded. The air on Percy's arm stood up. The lights flickered in the room. Charges of electricity danced around in Jason's palm. Percy noticed a spark fly across Jason's eyes, they now literally did have lightning flying across them.

"That's amazing."

Jason chuckled. "Thanks. I'm sure you do something pretty amazing too."

"So, could I see your room? I mean it would be nice if I knew where someone else I knew was. Plus, Nico said agent rooms were really cool."

Jason hopped off the bed. "Sure, right this way." Percy followed Jason out into the hall. They turned a corner and then another before Jason came to a stop. "Mine is a little bigger than other rooms, though."

"Why?"

"Because, I share a room with Apollo." Percy nodded in understanding. Jason opened his door and Percy walked in. His mouth gaped a little at the room. The bed was still the same size as Percy's. The TV was slightly bigger than his, though. Gaming consoles sat on a shelf below the TV. A few pictures lined the walls of the room, and a few paintings. A small fridge sat next to the bookshelf, which was filled to the brim with books. Computer monitors were built into the wall next to the TV, with a wireless keyboard that sat on a table in front of it. Instead of a normal sun shining through the window, Jason's reflected a thunderstorm. "So, this is my room."

"Our room," Apollo said from a chair that was facing the TV. He spun the chair around to look at the two in the doorway, a book in his lap. "Hello, Percy. How are you liking the place so far?"

"It's not as bad as I thought, I guess. I mean I still kind of feel trapped here."

"You'd be in danger if you left. You really are just being kept here for your safety. Once you are trained enough, you will get a choice to stay or go. Everyone gets that choice," Jason said, patting Percy on the back.

* * *

Percy sat in the cafeteria with Apollo and Jason. There really were a lot of people here. Nico was also right about the food here, it was so good. "So, do the agents hang out together, or something? Are they like the cool kids here?" Percy asked.

Jason chuckled. "I don't know if there are any 'cool kids' groups here." He shrugged. "Everyone gets along pretty well here. Yea, the agents are friendlier with each other, I guess, but it's because we sometimes do missions together and bond more."

"What else do people do here?"

"Well, we have a computer department. Some of them communicate with us in the field, others work on mission briefings, while others are hackers. The hackers are actually pretty cool and interesting to talk to. They can touch someone's computer and give it a virus, like, way worse than anything normal hackers can come up with."

"There are healers, who take care of any agents that get hurt in the field. Though, don't let the term fool you. The healing process is a bitch. It's like they just speed up the process, and there's a lot of pain involved. There are the trackers who can find others like us. They kind of keep to themselves," Apollo added.

Percy was silent for a moment. He watched the couple in front of him in silence. Every now and then Apollo would lean over and kiss Jason's temple. Jason leaned his back slightly into Apollo's chest. They were cute, Percy thought. "So, how did you two meet?"

"I told him he had a nice ass," Apollo laughed, Jason made a face.

"That is not what happened at all, you jerk," said Jason, a small blush on his cheeks. Apollo and Percy shared a laugh. "He was assigned to tag along on my first assignment."

Apollo shrugged. "I like my version better." He paused a moment before he continued. "It wasn't really one of those sudden realization moments. We did the mission, I saved his life, no big deal." Jason rolled his eyes.

"He took a hit for me and spent some time healing, so I felt sort of obligated to go visit him. We found out we got along pretty well, and started hanging out after he was all fixed up. I don't know, one day was just kind of different. He ended up kissing me and I kissed him back. I had a secret crush on him from the moment I laid eyes on him, so it was a nice turn of events."

"Been together ever since," finished Apollo, wrapping an arm around Jason's waist.

"That's awesome," Percy said.

"Yea, so I hear you got your own love life troubles."

Percy scowled at Jason. Jason just shrugged. "What? We tell each other everything."

"I don't know. I guess I kind of do. I mean there's Will. He's nice, but now that all of this is going on, I don't even know if it would be possible to be with him. I met-" Percy hesitated at the name, but then he figured he might as well just admit it. "Luke, who was kind of nice." Apollo frowned, Jason stared intently at his food. "You were supposed to tell me more about that, Jason."

"Yes, Jason, do tell more about that," Apollo said a little bitterly.

"Um, perhaps later tonight, Percy."

Percy nodded. "Ok. Then, I guess there's Nico. I'm not really sure what to make of him though. I mean I find him attractive, but he is weird around me sometimes." Apollo had started choking on his food when Percy had mentioned his name, by the time Percy stopped talking he was laughing.

"Barking up the wrong tree, Percy," Apollo said, taking a drink.

"Why? Is he not gay?"

"Oh, he is. He's just-"

"He's just complicated, Percy," finished Jason, clamping his hand over Apollo's mouth. "Nico had a bad break up a few years back. He kind of took it hard."

"What happened?" Percy asked.

"Well, it's part of how he ended up here. He came here, and his boyfriend at the time chose the other organization." This seemed kind of familiar to Percy. "The guy called him and asked to meet Nico. When Nico showed up, the guy tried to get Nico to betray Chiron. He used the low blows like, 'if you care about me', and stuff like that." This really seemed familiar. "Nico told him he didn't want to see him again, but the guy refused to let Nico go. So, Nico was kind of forced to attack his boyfriend." Percy had turned pale. "Really bad way to have a break up."

"You ok, Percy," Apollo asked out of concern.

Percy nodded his head slowly, eyes fixed on the table. Had it really been a dream? "W-Was it on a rooftop at night, while it rained?"

"Yea. How did you know that?" Jason asked.

"I-I think I dreamed it."

* * *

"You ok?" Jason asked. Percy lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Jason leaned against the closed door.

"Yea, this is just a lot to take in."

"Maybe it's your power. Maybe you see the past? Although I'm not sure how that's supposed to change the world. Maybe you can look at the memories of others."

"Maybe," Percy whispered. It had been a long day. Part of his body was still wired from all he had learned, but the rest of him was exhausted from everything that had happened. "Can you tell me more about Nico? What's his deal? Besides the break up?"

"Well, he doesn't talk much about his past. The few parts I do know are the break up and some of his home life. His parents and sister were killed in a car crash, but luckily for Nico, his powers manifested and he made it out alive." Jason came and sat next to Percy on the bed, plopping back to lie next to him. Jason raised his hand and a bolt of electricity shot out of Jason's fingertips. It flew up to the ceiling where it followed the motion of Jason's hand as he swept it back and forth. "I think that was the prime source of his emotional damage."

"How did you two become friends?"

"He actually came with Chiron to California. When Chiron was leaving after visiting my parents, I pulled Nico aside and asked him to help me get out. So, he came back later that night and helped me pack a few things. He shadow traveled me out, and we met up with Chiron. Chiron wasn't that happy at first, he felt it bordered on kidnapping, even though I wanted to go with them. Nico persuaded him to take me and we came back here. I noticed Nico didn't talk to many people here. I kind of made it my goal to befriend him. He tried to push me away at first, but he eventually caved when he saw I was going to be stubborn about it. We ended up being best friends after that."

"I'm kind of curious to get to know him." Jason smiled over at him.

"He's a really great guy, once you get him to open up. Just don't expect all warm and fuzzy when you first start really trying to get to know him. He'll be resistant. He has a little bit of a jealous streak. So, I might suggest figuring your guy situation out before trying to put the moves on him." Percy sat up. He looked back down at Jason, who was still busy playing with the static charge. Something had popped into his head, but he didn't know if he wanted to ask the question. If it was true...

"Jason."

"Hmm?" Jason looked at Percy, and the electricity disappeared.

"The guy that Nico broke up with, the one from the enemy organization. Did Nico kill him?" Jason frowned and shook his head. Percy felt a shiver run down his back, but he suppressed it the best he could. "Back at my college, you said that stuff about a friend of yours having a bad break up with Luke. Nico wasn't his boyfriend was he?"

Jason's face grew grim. He sat up and looked at the floor. He let out a long sigh before he answered. "Yes, Luke was Nico's boyfriend. Nico gave him that scar, and Luke is our enemy."

_So, now you know the plot. For the most part. There are still some factors going on that haven't got mentioned yet. Can you guess what Percy can do? I'll give you a hint. His powers appeared twice in past chapters. Sorry if this was a little boring this chapter. I got frustrated writing this one. I wanted to rewrite it, but I just couldn't think of a better way to do it. Everything is back on action track in the next chapter though. So, if you guess superpower agent spies, you guessed right. I guess that is the best way to sum it up. Also, kudos to Make-It-Now for guessing Luke and Nico had a history, and to anyone else that might have guessed that. However, I don't think Nico will be happy about Jason telling Percy about all that. Percy's training will also begin next chapter. Oh, and we will find out how Nico and Will interact when thrust in the same room._


	7. Chapter 7

_Finally back off of a filler chapter. It seems like it just goes uphill from here, at least as far as I've written. I'll talk some on 8 & 9 at the bottom. So, I got a review, from a veerayne. It was anon, so I want to know if it is the one I'm thinking about...if so I just got a lot happier cause your story Do Hell and Sea Mix might be my favorite on going story out right now. Just saying. So, I can't remember if I wrote this last week, but it has been determined that Choke will be the first of my stories to end. It has a life expectancy of around 25 chapters._

_I also want to promote my new fic coming out on Friday. It is called Children of Loss. It is going to be super amazing. So, go support it when it comes out. I haven't really given any info on it, as you might have noticed. I actually did let it slip to Make-it-Now before I decided to keep it under lock and key. Also, if you were lucky enough to catch a tiny spoiler on my home page, I had it up for like five hours I think. I actually got complimented on it from Braigi. He actually has been rereading it, something he says he doesn't do much. I've actually read the chapters a few time, and I never reread my work. He called it publishable, like in the actual sense. The cover art I'm going to use for the fic can be found on my deviantART account, if you want to go check it out early. XSonofHadesX on there. Brining me to my next topic. I've found some good artists on there. You should all check out Akosynne and loveXxXhate. They are awesome. Also, if any of my readers can draw like that, please let me know. I'd like to work with you for some artwork for my fics. _

_Hmm. I did forget to shout out a story last week. Go check out Taking the plunge by SomuchSarcasm, really great story. I'd also like to thank those who have been hitting the favorite author button, it means a lot to me. Thank you all who review. I'm hoping I can do something to make more of you review :p, but I'm not going to beg. I'm glad you all are liking this story, I thought it was going to bomb two chapters ago, and it has just gotten more popular. It is catching up to my other fic, A Tale of Love and Thrones. Anyways, let's get to the chapter._

_Disclaimer: If I actually owned these characters I'd have gotten Percy to date Nico instead of Annabeth, I have learned most of you want her to die._

_Warning: Slash, language, bad assness, and other stuff. I feel like people should know this by now, so I may start putting random stuff here from now on._

Chapter 7

Percy let Jason's words sink in for the rest of the night. Nico and Luke had dated. The two broke up because of this conflict between the two organizations. Nico lashed out and injured Luke, someone he supposedly cared about. Percy had seen the scar on Luke's face. Nico had done that. The thought frightened him. Maybe he should stay away from Nico. The boy didn't seem evil, though. He hadn't done anything to hurt Percy. He hadn't even forced Percy to come with him. Though, if Percy had stayed behind he would have been killed.

Apparently, Percy had drifted off to sleep at some point. He opened his eyes slowly, taking in the 'sun' shining in through the window. Someone was banging on his door. He slid off his bed and walked over to the door and opened it. Nico stood in the doorway, a look of annoyance on his face. "I've been banging on this door for ten minutes. How heavy of a sleeper are you?"

"Sorry," Percy said with a yawn. He saw Nico's eyes travel down and he realized he hadn't put a shirt on yet. Nico's eyes shifted back to Percy's eyes and he grunted. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"You need to get dressed and head to breakfast. You start training today. Don't be late." Nico began to turn to walk away, but Percy grabbed his arm. He looked back at Percy with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

Percy fidgeted for a moment. "Can-Can I talk to you for a moment. In private," Percy said, gesturing inside his room. Nico seemed to contemplate whether or not he should, but then shrugged and walked inside. He walked over and sat on Percy's bed and stared back at Percy, waiting for the taller boy to talk. "I-I kind of heard about your break up...with Luke." Nico's eyes darkened. He didn't look happy. "Why did you lie to me?" Nico didn't answer. He sat quietly, staring at Percy. "I asked you if you knew him, and you said you didn't."

Nico huffed. "What? You expected me to tell you everything? If you don't recall, I was on an assignment to watch you and make sure you stayed safe. I told you to watch who you trusted. I meant Luke. This is also not a subject I like to talk about. Most people know better than to ask me about that bastard." He spoke the last through clenched teeth. He had a cold glare on his face as he spoke. His hands were clenched at his sides.

"You gave him that scar."

"So? What of it? I'd do a lot worse if I ever run into him again." Something in Nico's eyes told Percy he meant it. "Why are we talking about this? Besides the fact that you're crying about me lying to you."

Percy gulped. That had hurt. He had thought the other boy liked him, but he was being so cold. Jason had told him to expect no less starting off, though. "I just wanted to know why, but I guess it should have been obvious. I-I also had a dream about it." This caught Nico's attention.

"Did you? Tell me what happened in it." For the next few minutes Percy went over his dream with Nico. The boy's eyes narrowed at a few parts and he growled at others. "That asshole. That isn't what happened! Not entirely, anyways." Nico stood and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Aren't you going to tell me your side?" Nico stared back at him for a moment.

"I'll give you something better. Meet me back here after you're done with training. I'll show you what happened." With that he left, leaving Percy confused. How would he show Percy what really happened? Though, given everything Percy had learned lately, he shouldn't have been surprised by things that could happen.

After Percy showered and dressed, he found himself in the cafeteria with Apollo and Jason. The two were relatively quiet. Apparently, they weren't morning people. "So, you start your training today," Jason said while sipping on his coffee. Percy nodded. "Excited? Maybe you can find out what you can do."

"Maybe? Do people sometimes never find out?" Percy asked, a sense of dread coming over him.

Apollo and Jason exchanged a glance. "Well, we've never had anyone come in that didn't already know what they could do. Usually we find people based on their display of powers. We know you've shown signs, but we haven't seen you do anything. You don't seem to know what you can do, so we have to go about finding things out."

"Great. So, I'm abnormal?"

"Technically, we're all abnormal," Apollo chimed in after finishing a bite of his eggs. "I know my dad called me something along those lines when he found out. He handled me being gay just fine, but being able to shoot fire out of my hands was where he drew the line."

Chiron stood up from a table not far away. He caught Percy's eye and motioned for Percy to follow him. Percy said a quick goodbye to Jason and Apollo and followed after the man. Chiron was waiting for him outside the doors of the cafeteria. "Hello, Percy. How has your stay been here so far?"

"Not too bad. I found out I was being hit on by the enemy before I got abducted."

Chiron gave a single nod. "That is why I sent Jason to assist Nico. Luke is a very good agent. Not that Nico couldn't handle him, but it eased my mind knowing two of my agents were keeping an eye on you." Chiron motioned for them to walk. It was quiet for a moment as they headed in the direction of the elevator.

When they stepped inside the elevator Percy broke the silence. "So, what is it we'll be doing exactly?"

"I am going to explain how it all works and see if you can manage manifesting your powers. Once we know what you can do it will make teaching you much easier. Which means you will be that much closer to being able to leave or stay on, whichever you will choose."

Percy nodded. "When will I be able to go back and get my things?"

"I can have Nico pop you over to your apartment after training if you want."

Percy brightened up that. He could get out of here for a while. "Great, I was supposed to talk to him later anyways. I can't stay very long, though, right?"

"I'm afraid not. Their trackers can't find you while you are here. The second you are outside, you will alert them."

Percy thought of something. "Where's my phone? It wasn't on me when I woke up in the medical lab."

"We have it in safe keeping. Just to make sure that Luke doesn't try and contact you. When you leave, you can have it back."

"I can't even use it to just call my friends?"

The elevator stopped and Chiron walked out, Percy followed quickly behind. "If you really wish to speak to them I won't stop you. You can come get your phone and talk with them, but when you're done, I think you should leave it in my safe keeping."

"You don't trust me?"

"It's not that, Percy. I think you are a good person. However, it is a way to track a person. That's why you should only use it sparingly while you are here." Chiron came to a stop in front a sealed door. He placed his hand on top of a scanner and the doors slid open. They were in a large open room. The walls were all white, with the lights, it appeared to be a void of nothingness. A few training dummies were lined on two of the walls. In one of the corners a turret was mounted on the ceiling. Percy had to wonder if it actually shot bullets or if it was it training friendly. Surely it was, right?

"So, this is the training room?"

"Indeed it is. The walls are heavily reinforced so they won't break very easily. That allows for some heavy training sessions for some of the agents here. This way others won't get hurt while we find out what you can do. It can also allow the others to test their limits without destroying anything."

"How does this work?" Percy asked, scratching his head.

Chiron came to stand in front of him, a warm smile on his face. "First, you must understand that everything you thought was real is a lie. If you are like us, the limits of the normal world don't apply. You need to know that you are capable of doing extraordinary things. Things that wouldn't seem possible to you before." Percy nodded, a serious look on his face. "Second, you must understand how your gift works. They usually stem from emotions. Anger is the easiest to draw from, but it is also the most dangerous. Apollo, Jason, and Nico's powers all draw primarily through anger. Because of that, they are at their most dangerous when they are angry. Healers will draw more from happiness and kindness. Finders draw from curiosity. It is all about finding your source. Nico thinks you have a mental power."

"What would that draw from?"

"The power of one's mind, primarily. The stronger your mental state, willpower, and discipline, the stronger you will be." Chiron tapped his finger on his chin in thought. "It seems fortunate that you were enrolled in martial arts. They teach all of those things. Your parents wouldn't know you are special, would they?"

Percy shrugged. "I doubt it. They barely pay attention to me. I don't see how they could." Percy frowned. They were always too busy with their job to notice anything special about Percy.

Chiron let out a low hum. "No matter. Now, let us begin with your training. If you would take a seat." Chiron pulled a chair out from behind him and placed it in front of him. Percy arched an eyebrow but sat down in the chair.

The next thing he knew he was being strapped into the chair. "What? What's going on?"

"Relax, Percy. This is just part of the training. We are going to see what you can do by forcing you to use your powers." Percy's eyes grew worried. He watched as Chiron sifted through a box. "Hmm. Not yet." He had pulled out a wrench and dropped it to the ground. Not yet? Percy's eyes grew wide. Soon a baseball, a book, and a stuffed bear joined the wrench on the floor. "Ah, here we are." Chiron pulled out a pillow." I think we will start with something simple."

"What is the purpose of this?"

"I want you to stop this from hitting you in the face."

Percy squirmed in the chair. "I'm kind of restrained."

"Exactly." Chiron's eyes flickered with amusement. Percy let out a sigh. "Use your powers to stop it from hitting you."

"I don't know what they are."

"Well, that is part of the reason we are going to start with this and not the wrench. Now, for example, Apollo would burn the object to a crisp before impact. So, if you can do something like that, then you should be able to find some way of stopping this." Percy gave a slight nod. Chiron held the pillow behind his head and chucked it towards Percy's face as the boy flinched right before it hit him int the face. "Yes, we definitely should have started with the pillow."

* * *

Jason hung upside down from the ceiling as he stared back with wide eyes at an annoyed Nico. A shadowy hand was wrapped around his ankle. "I-I didn't think you'd be upset, well not this upset. It really isn't that big of a deal, Nico," rambled Jason. "He needed to know what kind of danger Luke is."

"Doesn't give you the right to tell him that Luke was my ex." Nico's eyes darkened as the shadow gripped Jason tighter.

"You need to open up more. You need to learn to socialize with other people than just me." Nico waved his hand through the air and the shadow dropped Jason. "Ow! Couldn't you have dropped me more gently?" Nico grumbled back an incomprehensible response. "If you don't open up to him he's going to end up pushing you away. I thought you liked him?"

"I-I don't know," Nico mumbled as he stared at the floor. "He's confusing, ok? Besides I spent the past month basically stalking him. Why would he want to be with someone that stalked him? You might as well throw some glitter on me and watch me sparkle in the freaking sun." Jason cracked a smile.

"You should tell him you are sorry."

"For what?" Nico asked coldly.

"For lying to him? You know he's going to be even more upset when he finds out that you-"

Nico fixed him with a glare. "Don't you think I know that? I did what I had to do to get the job done."

"What was that going to accomplish anyways? Gaining a false trust? How is he going to see us if he feels lied to?" Jason asked, starting to raise his voice. "Do you want him to walk out on us when we need him?"

"What makes you think I care if he leaves?" Nico growled. Apollo opened the door at that point, took one look at the two and walked back out. Jason glared at the door as his boyfriend abandoned him.

"Stop trying to deny you have feelings for him, you idiot! What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Nico shouted, stomping his foot.

"Bullshit. You are afraid of getting hurt again so you jeopardize every guy that comes along that might have the slightest interest in you. You don't want Percy to hurt you like Luke, right?" Nico's glare wavered a little and he looked away. "You are only setting yourself up to be hurt, you know?" Jason said, lowering his voice to its normal gentle nature.

"I am bound to my job. It comes first. Always. I don't want to get attached to him. He could turn out like Luke and hurt me, yes, but I'm more afraid he might turn sides."

"Your little stunt didn't help that."

"Shut up," Nico mumbled under his breath. "Don't tell him."

"Your secret is safe with me." Jason smiled warmly at Nico, who rolled his eyes and walked out the door.

Nico ran a hand through his hair as he made his way down the hall. He would need to meet Percy soon. When he reached his destination he plopped down in front of the door and waited. He closed his eyes as he drifted off into his thoughts.

Luke was attempting to corrupt Percy's mind. He was playing with the boy's mind by being nice to him and tampering with Percy's friends' memories. Now, Nico found out that they were tampering with Percy's dreams. Percy had been scared of him back at the college. Could the memory Luke had shown him been that distorted to make Nico into a monster? Was there something else that Percy hadn't told them yet? His eyes snapped open as he thought of something.

The night before Percy had been brought to the organization he had woken up from two nightmares. One would have been the memory from his last encounter with Luke. What would the other have been? Percy had been screaming when he woke up the second time. It must have been something really bad. He would have to ask the boy about it. Not today, though. Today was about setting Percy straight on what had happened between him and Luke. Nico's gaze shifted down the hall as he heard footsteps approaching. Percy turned the corner, rubbing his face.

"What happened to you?" Nico asked, standing up.

"Chiron thought it might stir my powers if the object being flung at my face was heavier, so he used a book." Nico tried to hide a laugh, but failed miserably. Percy pouted and Nico's laugh became a small chuckle.

"Ready to go?" Nico asked.

"Chiron asked you to take me home?"

"Yes."

"What about the other thing?" Percy asked nervously.

Nico sighed. "It can wait until we get back or tomorrow."

"So? How are we going to do this?" Percy asked. Nico just smiled mischievously at him. He grabbed Percy and pulled him backwards. They were flung through darkness and ended up landing on Percy's bed in his apartment. Percy looked down at Nico for a moment. He was straddling the boy, with Nico's legs on either side of his waist. Nico cleared his throat and Percy shifted off of him.

"Pack whatever you want to bring." Nico paused. "Within reason. No humongous thing to carry. Just stuff things in a bag like you would if you were going on vaca-" Nico stopped talking when the door opened. Annabeth and Grover stood in the doorway, with shocked expressions.

"Percy!" Grover exclaimed. "You're alright." Percy tossed Nico a confused look. Nico quickly turned and rummaged through Percy's closet, taking out the boy's shirts to pack.

"We were so worried when the doctor called us and told us about the accident at school. I can't believe you survived that fall. Though, I am curious how you are still alive," Annabeth said. Her eyes flickered to Nico for a moment.

"Oh, right. I guess it wasn't as bad as they made it out to be," Percy said, rubbing the back of his head. He heard shuffling in the main room and then Will poked his head in. "Will?" Nico's head turned sharply at the mention of the boy's name.

"Percy! I had just come over to see if there was any news. What are you doing here?" Will asked curiously.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes a little in thought. "Yes, what are you doing here?"

"Percy had to get some things before he got put into some physical therapy. He still has to stay at the hospital for a while. He's also being looked at for other things. Seems he has trouble sleeping and memory lapses," Nico said, smiling at Percy in a mischievous way.

"Who is this?" Will asked.

Percy smiled. "Oh, right. This is Nico." All three of his friends' eyes widened at the small boy next to Percy.

"He-He's real?" Annabeth stammered. Percy nodded.

"Hey, man. It's nice to meet you finally," Grover said with a smile. He held his hand out for Nico to shake, but the boy just stared down at the hand and went back to packing Percy's bag. Grover shifted and pulled his hand back with a frown.

Will pulled Percy into a hug. Nico's jaw tightened. Percy saw the shadows in the corner of the room tighten. He tried to hide a gulp. Nico pulled Percy from the blonde's grasp. Will glared at Nico. Percy stared nervously at both boys as they glared daggers at each other, each with a hand on one of Percy's arms. "Um, chill?" Percy asked nervously. Nico's eyes flickered dangerously to his. He growled at Will and returned to packing. Will smirked, feeling triumphant.

"I was worried about you," Will said. "They said we couldn't come see you."

"You especially," mumbled Nico. Will glared over Percy's shoulder at the black haired boy. Nico inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling. It was taking too much effort not to shadow travel this blonde over the Atlantic and drop him in.

"I know. I'll be back before long. Don't worry, you guys. I'm being taken care of," Percy said with a smile.

"I can see that," Will replied bitterly as he continued to watch Nico.

"No. It's not like that," Percy fumbled. Nico looked up at him. "I mean...it's...uh."

Grover came to his rescue. "Why don't we just let them get packed. Then he can sit and talk for a moment. Right?"

Percy glanced at Nico, who shook his head. "I-Maybe for a few minutes?" Nico sighed and grunted his approval.

"Actually, why don't you just go and fill Annabeth and Grover in on the details. I'll help Nico here get you packed," Will said sweetly. He kissed Percy on the cheek. Nico's nostrils flared. The boy was pushing it.

"Um..." Percy glanced at Nico, who shrugged. "Sure, I guess." It's not like Will would hurt Nico. Percy did pale a little. He should be worried more about if Nico could restrain himself from killing Will. Will pushed him towards the door, closing it behind the trio. He turned back to Nico with a dark glare.

"I don't know what your game is, but you need to back off. Percy and I are trying to have a relationship."

"Trying. You don't have one. You aren't his boyfriend. Doesn't that give him the right to choose who he wants? I mean, sure he will be spending most of his time with me, but I'm sure you still have a good chance in this." Will huffed, turning red.

"You know, I wish you had been imaginary like we thought you were."

"Mad that I got to meet the parents before you?" Nico leaned back against the wall and smirked at Will. The blonde growled but began to toss some clothes into one of Percy's bags. "I could tell you about the way we danced at the club too." Will's head snapped toward Nico's.

"You are an ass. Why would Percy even go for you?" A smile spread across Will's face. "At least I'm sure I've gotten farther than you."

"Then I can take solace in the fact that I'm not a whore."

Will shoved Nico. "More like can't get him to fuck you. He has me. He doesn't need you."

"I haven't even kissed him yet. Yet, I probably could get him in bed if I wanted. Who has he been thinking about the past few days? Stop me if I'm wrong, but I think it was me and not you. I don't want him to fuck me. If I want to be with him, it'll be more than just sex. Which is all you've managed to get from him." Will's glare broke and he looked a little hurt. "Truth hurts doesn't it?" Nico turned back to packing Percy's things.

"You also seem like a bitch."

Nico shrugged. "Because, I got hurt by a guy that I cared too much about. Maybe you should be rethinking your feelings so you don't turn into one too."

"Do you like him?" Nico didn't answer. "You don't know?"

Nico shrugged again. "I'm just trying not to get hurt again."

"Why would you think Percy would? He's too nice to hurt anyone." Will paused for a while. He returned to packing. "He does like you, though. I could tell just from being in the same room as the two of you for a few moments. Just something about the way he looks at you. It reminded me of the way he looks at me sometimes."

"He's just confused."

"Don't hurt him."

Nico turned to look at the blonde. "I wasn't planning on it. I'm not even sure if we are going to date. He's attractive and nice, but it's just more complicated than it seems. So, maybe you don't have anything to worry about. Maybe he'll return home in a few weeks and you can have him and not have to worry about me trying to steal him."

Will watched Nico out of the corner of his eye. "You're confusing."

Nico gave a small chuckle. "So I've been told."

"It still doesn't change the fact that I'm not happy about this. I really want to be the one Percy chooses, but all I can do is hope. It also doesn't change the fact that I don't particularly like you."

"Fine by me. The feeling is mutual anyways."

There was a knock at the door and Percy poked his head in. "Oh, good, neither of you have killed each other." Both boys rolled their eyes. "Um, Will, can I talk to you for a moment? Just want to talk before I have to leave." Nico stared at Will for a moment and then at Percy. He bit his tongue to keep from saying anything else. Will nodded and followed Percy out of the room.

Why was Nico freaking out if he wasn't even sure how he felt about Percy? Maybe he did like Percy. It didn't really change much. He still needed to be careful. There was always the chance the boy could turn traitor, or just walk out on them. He wasn't overly happy about Percy having feelings for Will either. Luke had left him emotionally damaged. Was it too much to ask for that he could just have a guy to himself? Not have to worry about the guy abandoning him. Not have the guy smitthen with multiple guys. Nico sighed as he finished packing one of the duffle bags. He took a bag and opened the door. Percy was talking to Will in the bathroom. Without a word he tossed the bag to Percy and shut the door again.

Soon he heard the door open, but didn't turn around. He knew it was Percy. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and finally looked back at the boy. "Are you mad at me?" Percy asked.

Nico shook his head. He didn't say anything, just went back to finish packing. He heard Percy sigh behind him and then moved to stand next to Nico, placing the last bit of his clothes in the bag. Nico looked at Percy when they were done. "Ready?" Nico finally spoke. Percy gave a nod and Nico and Percy picked up the bags. Nico moved closer and wrapped his arms around Percy. He felt Percy do the same to him, but his arms were wrapped tighter around Nico. The shadows swallowed them and they soon found themselves back in Percy's room at the organization.

Nico went to pull back, but Percy held on to him. He looked up to find the boy staring down at him. Nico averted his eyes so he wouldn't get lost in Percy's green ones. With some force he pushed himself away from the taller boy, who frowned at him. "You shouldn't," Nico whispered. Percy cocked his head to the side. "Never mind." Nico motioned for the door. "You still want to see what really happened with me and Luke?"

Percy nodded. He followed Nico out the door and towards the elevator. They rode up in silence. Percy kept looking at Nico, but the boy refused to look at him. The elevator finally came to a stop and Nico walked out. Percy sighed, following behind the pale boy. Inside was an odd machine with two chairs attached to it. A woman sat at a computer station. She looked up when she noticed them. Nico waved at her and walked over to the chairs. "Sit," he commanded. Percy hesitantly sat down and leaned back in the chair. Nico pulled a visor down over Percy's head. It was semi-clear, so Percy could still make out Nico's figure behind it.

Nico walked off and sat down in the other chair. The woman stood up and came over to him. She attached some wires to Nico's arms and two to his temples. She went back over to the the computer and began typing in commands. The machine lit up. Nico sighed and tried to relax in the chair. Why was he doing this? He didn't have to show this to Percy. Why did it matter so much for the boy to know the truth?

Percy's visor glowed brightly and it was if he was pulled into the light. Rain was pouring down from the night sky. This time he seemed to be in a different perspective than the last time. He watched from the shadows as Luke made his way out on to the roof. Luke stared at his watch for a moment before Percy emerged from the shadows. Only it wasn't him, he knew it was Nico. "What do you want?" Nico asked in an annoyed tone. "I told you I didn't want to see you again. It is for the best."

"I just wanted to try and change your mind. I still care about you, think about what we could have together. Why can't you just come with me?"

"I'm not coming with you to work for that monster. Now I suggest you go and leave me alone before I do something I regret. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to." Percy felt Nico's body shaking.

Luke's eyes grew angry. "Why are you being like this? I thought you cared about me? I guess you're just as cold as I heard you were."

"This isn't about us!" Nico yelled, though his voice trembled. He pointed a finger at Luke. "This is about you. I don't want to see you again." Nico turned to walk away, but Luke grabbed his wrist roughly. He jerked Nico back around to face him, holding his wrist tightly.

"You aren't going to leave. I'm not going to let you."

"Let go of me," Nico said darkly. Luke's hand didn't let go. Nico tried tugging his arm free, but to no avail. Luke shoved Nico back against the wall, pinning him there. Nico held his hand out to the side and the shadows formed a dagger. In a swift motion Nico sliced it across Luke's face. The boy screamed and stumbled backwards, clutching at his face. Nico held his hand to the side like he was clutching a ball. The nearby lights on the roof shattered and the light pooled in Nico's hand. It formed a ball of bright light. Nico yelled as he thrust his arm forward, sending the ball crashing into Luke. It exploded on contact, knocking the blonde to the ground.

When the light had settled back into a state of darkness Nico walked forward. He stared down at an unconscious Luke, blood dripped down the side of his face, but other than that he looked unharmed. Nico pulled a necklace out from under his shirt, ripped it off and tossed it down on Luke's chest. He took a step back and summoned the shadows to take him.

The scene went blank after that. The visor returned to normal. Percy slowly pulled it up and off his head. He looked over at Nico, but found the other chair was empty. Wires hung off the side of the chair, swinging back and forth.

_Holy shit, I only had one scene change. I like never have that happen. Except in my fic I published last week. Oh, and thanks to those who have gotten into that. The second chapter is much better, and will have Percy and Nico together...not like 'together', but you know...around each other. Anyways, 8 and 9 I feel you will all like. They delve into future stuff and Nico's backstory. You finally learn why he's the way he is. You also find out a dark secret he has...well...you actually have seen it already. Anyways. Chapter 8 will be out next Sunday with two new characters joining the story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Wow. Talk about a good posting day last week. Six reviews. Nice. So, I got an influx of new readers it seems. So, I want to thank you all for joining the rest of us in this epic tale of somehow awesome proportions. I'm still lost on how this has become so popular. You're all high, aren't you? I'm trying to do a fast A/N because I have to leave in a few mins, but me and short A/Ns never work out. Do some shout outs._

_J.P Dufour: Thank you! My secret is mixing a little crack into the rec-oh wait that's my cookie recipe. Let me just put that away...I loved your review because it captured what I've been trying to create with the story. I don't know how many chapters I need to make it a novel, but I'm estimating it to be done around chapter 25 or 30._

_AzucenaXshadows: Well, that is actually my secret. I don't know if that is really a secret. Do other authors play their stories like a movie in their head? Cause that's how I get everything from my head to the word document. I also have a vivid imagination, and probably a slightly demented personality...but we won't go there. You already got to see that in chapter 4 ^.^. On a perfectly relatable subject to this chapter. I really hate disappointing fans, so hopefully you don't toss your computer out the window. I'll explain in my end note._

_Reining: Oh, Reining. I love you so. The wrench scene was awesome to write. Then of course I have to have Nico being his temperamental self. Yes, Twilight reference, because Braigi kept telling me Nico seemed to be a creepy stalker. Well, you get a little bit from Nico's history this chapter. _

_Veerayne: I love you. *whispers* Don't tell Reining. I feel your pain. I hate logging in too. Especially when it's on my phone. Your story is awesome, what can I say. A lot of people seem to like the Will and Nico scene. I actually had to change stuff in chapter 10 so I can give you all another one. Ha, but if you knew what I changed you all would probably be upset with yourselves. I'll talk more about that later!_

_Make-It-Now: I do have a thing for cliffs. Especially in that upcoming chapter of A Tale of Love and Thrones! I'll just leave everyone else wondering about that one. Mwhahaha. I'm sure you'll like this one more than last chapter!_

_starsandtwinkles17: This chapter! Omfg it's finally here! Powers! :o you have a huge clock that countdowns to posting days too? Or is that just me? _

_That took longer than I was wanting it to. Damn you all for being awesome! As a reminder if you keep up with my other stories, I posted an extra chapter for A Tale of Love and Thrones yesterday, so check that out if you read it. Also, another shameless promotion of Children of Loss. I'm at 7 reviews. Three more and I don't get destroyed by the beta. You know, yesterday he came off as awesome to you guys in that author note, well guess what he said to me today. We were talking about the importance of the number 10 in this._

_Braigi: If you can't get as many reviews as there are fingers on your hands..._

_well..._

_I shall deem it time for more drastic measures_

_ me: you are going to cut off my toes and fingers?_

_ Braigi: No_

_Just put you though the ringer harder and more often_

_Don't let him kill me! Seriously, he comes in and crushes my joys when I get reviews. So, let's get over to Children of Loss and get 3 more reviews if you haven't already. If I have to suffer, I'll take you down with me. I threatened the lives of characters in AToLaT, I'll do it here. Don't make me kill your favorite characters ^.^. Oh, and while we are on the subject. I loved getting all those last week. Keep them coming! They make me work harder. Oh, and if you keep them coming like they are, I'll see about extending the life span of this fic, or make a sequel. Now, let's get to the chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own. Curses_

_Warning: Hmm. I'll go back to putting serious stuff here when I get to the good stuff...by that I mean when Percy and Nico knock boots. Heels to Jesus, as Tallahassee would put it. For now, let's imagine a family of penguins...then let's imagine them being eaten by a whale. The end ^.^._

Chapter 8

A week had passed, and Nico had done everything he could to avoid Percy. Percy hadn't seen the boy once. Jason said he had hauled up in his room and was refusing to talk to anyone except Jason or Chiron. Percy sighed as he stood in the elevator as it descended to the training center. A week of training every day and they still hadn't found any sign of his powers. A week of getting hit with pillows and books. He had a headache already just thinking about it.

The door dinged open and Percy found Chiron standing in front of the sealed door, as he always was before their training sessions. "Good morning, Percy," Chiron said. The man was too happy this early for Percy's taste. Percy grunted his reply, earning a smile from Chiron. Chiron turned around and placed his hand on the sensor once again and the doors swung open.

Without being told, Percy went over to the chair and sat down. Chiron strapped him in and went to retrieve the projectiles. "Can't we move on to something else? My face feels that maybe this isn't along the lines of my abilities," Percy said.

"Come now, Percy, where's your patience? I thought you said your parents had you pick up meditation with your martial arts?"

"Meditation didn't involve getting in the face repeatedly," mumbled Percy.

"You just need to give it more time. I need you to focus. Find some way of stopping it with your mind." Chiron raised the pillow, and Percy shut one of his eyes, flinching away slightly. Chiron chuckled before he sent the pillow sailing towards Percy.

Percy bit his lip as the pillow sailed at him. Stop it. Stop it. STOP! The ground around the chair cracked and the pillow seemed to catch in the air. It now twirled in the air inches in front of Percy's face. Percy blinked at it a few time before letting his head fall back and let out a breath. The pillow immediately fell to the ground at Percy's feet. He heard clapping and looked back to see Chiron clapping at him. "Well done, Percy," the man said.

"I-I did that?"

Chiron nodded. "Marvelous. You are telekinetic." The man seemed to ponder something in his head. He looked at Percy, who was looking at him in confusion. "Oh, right. It is a rare gift to develop. You see, Percy, our gifts are developed through our DNA. The sequence of your genetics will determine if you are special or normal. It also determines what power you have, if you are more than normal. The genetic code for telekinesis is almost impossible to obtain. However, I'm not quite certain how this makes you unique."

"I'm not unique enough? I can move things with my mind."

"Yes. It is just, we had word that a perfect 'specimen' was living in the world. Someone with a gift like no other."

"Can I have more than one ability?" Percy asked curiously.

"It is possible, I suppose. Not entirely unheard of. We will have to try doing some other tests on you."

"So, are we done for the day?"

A spark ignited in Chiron's eyes. "No, my boy. We need to work with your gift while it is still fresh in your mind." Percy let out a long sigh as Chiron went for the book.

* * *

"Why don't you just go talk to him?" Jason asked with a hint of annoyance. He had his chin on his palm as he tossed a halfhearted glare at Nico, who lay on his bed with his face buried in his pillow. "You have been moping all week. If you were going to get upset by this, why did you show him?"

"I felt it was important," Nico mumbled into his pillow.

Jason groaned and fell back against the chair, fighting the urge to facepalm. "You are pretty much hopeless. You know he wants to talk to you, right? He won't shut up with asking if you are ok."

Nico glanced at Jason, a small pout on his lips. "I don't know what to say to him. I'm not good with people."

"Clearly. At least do me a favor and get out of this room for a little while. You've been cooped up in here too much. Go do something."

Nico groaned. "Fine." Shadows radiated around him and enveloped his body, when they dissipated Nico was gone. He appeared on the top floor in the observatory. He took a seat on one of the window edges and looked out at the city. The sun was starting to set on the city.

"Don't move, please." Nico turned his head to find Rachel sitting in a chair under a small tree they kept up there. She had a sketchpad in hand and was alternating her attention with it and looking at Nico. "Sorry. It just looked like something I needed to draw." Nico grunted. "Problems?"

"Don't want to talk about it, Rachel."

"I take it you are having problems with Percy."

Nico tossed her a glare from the corner of his eye. "You really need to stop looking at my future."

"Wasn't yours I was looking at. I've told you before that your future is-"

"Unclear. I know." Nico sighed.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Nico let his head fall against the glass. "Yea," he mumbled. He stared out at the city again. "There hasn't been any change?"

He saw Rachel shake her head in the glass. "I'm sorry. You save his life and then nothing." Nico felt tears sting at his eyes. He chewed on his lip as he tried to will them away.

"I guess it'll be worth it if he's as important as you said he is going to be."

* * *

Percy carried his tray of food and sat down next to Jason. Apollo was next to Jason, as usual, and he gave Percy a little wave while he chewed his food. Someone new was at their table, though. A boy around Nico's height with tanned skin and short dark hair. He had a few cuts on his body. Three down his left arm and one across his right cheek. He had friendly brown eyes and a lopsided smile as he talked with Jason. When Percy sat down he stopped talking and his eyes grew a little. "You're him!"

"Him? What's he talking about Jason?" Percy asked.

Jason tossed the boy a look. "Nothing. Leo just gets over excited easily."

"What's special about me? I mean apparently I'm not normal, but around here having powers is considered normal."

"You're an orange, dude!" Leo exclaimed with excitement.

Apollo and Percy gave the boy an odd look. Percy looked himself over. "I'm a fruit?" Percy said with a raised eyebrow.

"No. No. Orange. Legendary." The boy pulled out a PDA and pulled up an image of a staff that looked like the head of a dragon. Percy just continued to look at the boy like he was crazy. "The thing that everyone wants because you are totally badass!"

"Oh...so I'm important?" he asked looking at Jason.

Jason sighed and elbowed Leo in the side, who looked at Jason in confusion. He clearly didn't understand what he had done wrong. Jason rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "There's a reason Nico was sent to bring you in, Percy. We have 'seers' that can tell the future. One of them saw a significant event between our organization and the enemy."

"What does that have to do with me?" Percy asked. Jason went back to eating, not wanting to answer. He tossed Leo a glare when the boy went to open his mouth. "Well?"

"Go talk to Rachel, Percy," finally spoke Apollo. "She's the one that saw it. She's our best seer. Just-Just don't ask too much when you go to talk to her."

Percy gave the tall blonde a confused look, but didn't press it any farther. It was quiet for a while after that. Percy figured he'd clear the air and change topics. "So, Leo, what is it you do here?"

"Hacker," Leo mumbled while chewing his food.

"The best we have," added Jason, smiling brightly at the smaller boy. Leo gave a sheepish smile and looked back down at his food. "I hear you discovered your powers." That one was directed at Percy.

Percy nodded. "Yea, apparently I'm a telekinetic."

All three boys smiled at him. "Nice, dude. Did Chiron tell you how rare that is?"

Percy nodded again. "Yea. He said the code was like almost impossible to get."

"Yep. The only harder one to pull off is telepathy. I think we only found three cases of that in history," said Leo enthusiastically.

Jason and Apollo finished eating not long after that, and they bid the other two farewell before leaving. Leo just kind of stared at Percy in amazement for a while. "So, can you show me your power?" Leo asked.

"Um. Is there a rule or anything about not using in certain places?"

"Nah. As long as you don't like destroy stuff." Percy nodded. He looked down at his fork and tried to do like he did to the pillow. In that scenario he had just been thinking about it not hitting him, wanting to be shielded. This would probably be different. Chiron hadn't taught him how to move anything just yet, but Percy figured it would be something along the same line. He tried to picture the fork moving, slowly rising. Like an invisible hand reaching down and picking it up. Percy felt a tug in his head and the fork began to slowly lift off the ground. "Wow! That is so cool!" Leo exclaimed.

Percy smiled and looked up at Leo, causing the fork to drop back to his tray. It was going to be a while before he could multitask while using his power. Letting out a sigh, Percy picked up the fork and stabbed at his food. "So, where can I find that Rachel girl?"

"Well, she is rarely in her room. Usually only goes there to sleep. She can sometimes be found on the top floor, the observatory. If she's not there, then try floor thirteen. That is where the seers do their thing." Leo's eyes flickered up. "Or you could turn around and look a few tables over. Red head."

Percy turned and looked around. It took him a while, but he finally spotted the girl he was talking about. She had long red hair and a crooked smile. She had pale skin that seemed to be dotted with freckles. She sat alone and was currently eating a salad she had on her tray. As if knowing he was watching she gave a wave in his direction, not even looking up. Percy felt a chill run down his spine and stood up. It was like his body was moving on its own as he made his way over to her and sat down across from her at the table. She finally looked up at him and gave him a warm smile. Her eyes were a deep green that seemed to look at your very soul. "Hello, Percy. I've wanted to meet you for a while now."

"I-Thanks?" Percy stammered. Her smile widened as she returned to eating her salad.

"So, come to learn about your destiny?"

"Is it like a prophecy or something?"

Rachel snorted. "No. Nothing like that. I actually stumbled along you while trying to help Chiron with something else."

"Can you tell me what you saw?"

Rachel's expression seemed to darken, the smile dropping off her face. "I suppose if you really want to know." Percy nodded. He could feel his hands starting to shake. "The rise and fall of the two opposing organizations will come down to one point in time. You are the key to deciding which side prospers while the other crumbles. I saw you holding the two in your hands. A decision you will make will reflect not only the fates of those in the two organizations, but the world as well."

Percy just stared at Rachel in disbelief. Sure Nico said Percy might be important when they first met, but deciding such a large thing was something else. Percy opened and closed his mouth a few times, but couldn't figure out what to say. If he was so important would they ever let him leave? He stood up and turned to leave, but Rachel stopped him.

"Chiron will be out of his office at midnight."

Percy turned back to look at her and question what she meant, but the girl just got up and walked off with her tray. Percy watched her leave as he contemplated what her words were about. He suddenly didn't feel safe here anymore. He wanted out.

* * *

Percy sat on his bed, his foot bouncing up and down nervously. He felt like a caged animal. Could he trust any of them? Nico, Chiron, Jason, they were all were just using him for power. They weren't going to give him a choice. Apparently, he was too valuable to them. He didn't feel that special. Maybe they got the wrong guy? How could he decide fate like that? Percy just wanted his old life back. This was all too much, but he was trapped.

Maybe there was a way. If he could use his power on the cameras to move them to face another direction, then maybe he could slip by. His apartment keys and phone were still with Chiron, but maybe Percy could slip up there and get them. Maybe that was what Rachel had been talking about, but why would she help him break out? He looked at his clock. He had thirty minutes until midnight. He quickly grabbed a few things and slipped them into his backpack. He slipped it on and eased the door open. Looking out into the hall, he spotted the first camera. He reached his hand out and concentrated on shifting it. He felt a slight pain in his head, but the camera eased slowly away.

He sighed and slipped out into the hall, closing the door behind him. One by one he moved the cameras away from his path. He got to the elevator and hit the button to Chiron's floor. It came to a stop a few moments later and Percy peered out. Nobody in the hall. He shifted the two cameras that lined the hall and headed towards the office.

Percy looked down at his watch. Three minutes past midnight. Would Chiron be out? What if Rachel missed it by a small margin? He had to take the chance. He eased the doorknob until it slipped open. He quietly slipped inside and searched the room. No cameras that he could see. That didn't ease his mind any. He would have to move fast to avoid any detection. He went for the third drawer on Chiron's desk, he'd seen the man pull his phone out from there a few times when he had asked to use it. It was there along with his keys. He grabbed them and slipped them into his pockets. He was about to reach the door when he was tackled to the ground.

Percy grunted as he hit the ground. He opened his eyes to find Nico glaring down at him. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Nico hissed at him.

"I don't want to stay here," Percy whispered back. "You can't keep me here."

Percy tried to struggle, but Nico managed to keep him pinned. Percy tried to throw a punch, but Nico grabbed his wrist and placed it below his knee. He summoned a shadow dagger with his now free hand and placed it against Percy's throat. "You are safe here. You'll die if you leave."

Percy stared back at him skeptically. "Says the person holding a knife to my throat."

Nico shrugged. "You are the one who tried to hit me." Percy let out a low growl and forced his legs up and kicked Nico off of him. Nico flew backwards a few feet, but landed gracefully on his feet. Percy made another attempt for the door, but Nico flung his arm and Percy was pinned to the door by the shadows. "I don't want to hurt you dammit. Why are you freaking out?"

Percy felt a surge in his head. His eyes hazed over a bit. "I just want to leave," he said pleadingly. Nico didn't respond. He seemed to be in a trance. The shadows dissipated, releasing Percy. Percy stared at Nico oddly. The boy just stood there, not even blinking. "Don't stop me from leaving this building." He jerked the door open and ran for the elevator. Once inside he hit the button to the lobby. He looked back down the hall before the door closed. Nico hadn't come after him.

* * *

Percy bolted down street after street. He had been running for almost two hours now. He just wanted to be as far away as possible from that place. He would look back every few minutes to see if he was being followed, there was no one. As he ran around one corner he bumped into someone. He stumbled backwards, but the person reached out and caught him. "Percy, I had wondered where you had ran off to." Percy froze as he lifted his head up to look at Luke.

"Y-You."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "What's the matter? You don't look happy to see me. I've been trying to call and text you. How come you haven't answered?" Luke said, giving a pout.

"I-uh. I've been busy."

"Oh? That is too bad. Well, since we have bumped into each other, how about we hang out for a little while?"

Percy couldn't help but feel a slight sense of fear. Luke was one of them. Well, not with the others. He was their enemy, but that made him the same to Percy. He would want Percy for the same reason. Jason had said he was dangerous. He had seemed friendly, though. Who was telling the truth? "I-I don't know."

"Aw, come on, Percy. Let me buy you a cup of coffee, or something."

"Well-I guess-"

Percy was cut off as a beam of light shot past him and crashed into Luke, sending him flying backwards into a newsstand. Luke crawled out of the wreckage to be met with a sharp kick to the face, sending him back into the wall of a building. Nico now stood in front of him, a look of rage on his face. He turned to look at Percy as his eyes filled with shadows, they burned in his eyes like flames. "What the hell did you do to me back there?" Nico yelled at Percy. Percy could only stare in horror. He stumbled backwards, tripping over something and fell on his back.

Nico came into his line of vision, still glaring at him. "I-I don't know." Nico grunted. He was about to help Percy up when a chunk of cement came flying at him. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards, bouncing across the pavement and landing into a pile of trashcans. Luke climbed out of the wreckage and glared at Nico, who lay motionless on the ground. He slowly walked over to the small boy and gripped him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. Nico gripped at the hand around his throat, but couldn't pry it off.

The shadows in Nico's eyes began stretch out across his surrounding skin. They formed crack like lines around his eyes. When he spoke, his voice came out darker. "I hate you. I hate you more than anything else. Everything you did. Everything you will do."

Luke sneered at Nico. "What I did? You are the one who walked away."

Shadows erupted around Nico, breaking Luke's grip and sending him flying backwards into a streetlight. "You expected me to side with that monster? After what he did? Do you know why I found Chiron? So, I could one day kill that bastard. I want to make him suffer for what he did. I'll kill him slowly, painfully. I'll strip him of all his senses until all he feels and knows is the pain of my blade digging into his flesh. The last thing he will do before I rip out his tongue is to beg me to kill him. Then, when I'm satisfied, I'll plunge my dagger into the spot his heart is supposed to be, and right in those last moments of life I'll rip the flesh from his body until he's given his final breath."

Percy visibly shuddered at Nico's words. Was this who Nico really was? The demon from his nightmare? He forced himself on to his feet and bolted away. Nico looked away from Luke and yelled for Percy to wait. Percy didn't listen as he bolted around a corner. Nico glared back at Luke, who only smirked at him. "You ever touch him again, I'll kill you," Nico whispered. He stepped back and vanished into the shadows.

* * *

Percy found himself standing in front of the door to his parents' penthouse. He fumbled in his pocket for his keys, dropped them once before getting them into the lock. Once inside he locked the door behind him. He made his way over and collapsed on the couch. He was beyond exhausted, having run so far tonight. The door to his parents' room swung open and his parents came outside.

"Percy?" his father asked, looking down at him in confusion. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I-I need help," Percy managed to pant out.

"What happened to you? We've been trying to get in touch with you. A doctor called saying you were hurt, but we couldn't come see you. What has been going on?" Percy's mother asked. Percy sat up, trying to catch his breath.

"These people took me and kept me in a facility. I-I'm not normal."

Poseidon arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Percy?"

Percy tried to slow his breathing. He reached out at the coffee table with his mind. The candle that sat in the middle of it began to lift off of the surface. "I-I can do that."

Without batting an eye, Poseidon took the candle and placed it back on the table. "You stopped taking your medicine," the man said plainly.

Percy looked at him with confusion. "What? How did you know that?"

"Because, Percy, that was supposed to keep this from happening," his mother sighed.

"Wh-What are you talking about? You know about me?"

Sally squeezed her son's hand. "It was for your own good, sweetie."

"How is lying to me and drugging me for my own good?"

"Because, we didn't want you getting involved with those people," Poseidon grunted.

"Wait. You know about U.N.I.T. and those other guys?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on them. They're capable of destroying the entire world. Some have abilities that make them more dangerous than any terrorist."

"Y-You're involved in all of this?" Percy's head was spinning. He wanted away from all of this.

Poseidon nodded. "Our job is to keep them all in check. Keep dangerous ones off the streets. Though, the agents are nearly impossible to capture." Poseidon rubbed at his small beard. "That friend of yours that you had over the other day, was he one of them?"

"He-I...Y-Yes, sir."

"We thought so," Sally said quietly.

Percy looked at both of them. This was their job? His entire life they had been involved in this conflict and he never knew. "Why did you drug me?" Percy asked after a moment of silence.

"Well, son, it was for your own good. We knew you were one of them. We learned what they did, and we wanted to keep you out of all of this," Poseidon stated.

Percy felt like he might throw up. "C-Can you elaborate more?"

Poseidon sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Percy, we work in genetics. When you were in the womb, we found some complications that could have been fatal for you down the road. We altered portions of your genetic sequence to ensure you came out healthy. It was when you were born that we took a closer look at your new genetic code. You weren't going to be normal. Around your first birthday, you started showing signs. You moved your crib in the night. You had your stuffed animals float. Most people who exhibit powers don't start manifesting until puberty."

"So, we took you back to the lab and checked you out. We searched and searched for another code that was similar to yours, but we came up empty handed. You are one of a kind. We-When we changed your genetics in the womb, we wanted to make you as healthy as possible. Your father got a little carried away, he wanted your genetics to be 'perfect'," Sally said, squeezing Percy's hand again. "When we learned more about those two organizations, we realized we couldn't let them drag you into all of that. We gave you some medicine to suppress your powers, but when you hit puberty they came back. Only, this time they came back stronger. You were shaking the building when you had nightmares. We would find you levitating off of your bed. Objects floating around in your room as if there was no gravity. So we put you on that medication to keep them suppressed."

"We wanted you to have a normal life, Percy. We didn't want you involved in all of this," Poseidon added.

"I-I feel sick," Percy stated. "I need to lie down." Sally nodded. She stood up and helped Percy to his feet. She led him into his old room and helped him down on to his bed. He slipped his shoes off and collapsed back onto the bed. Within moments, he was asleep.

_Phew. Alright. So, as you see, no water powers. Sorry if that disappointed anyone. I originally was going to, but I needed Percy to be this super epic omega power person. Telekinesis is one of them, take a guess at the other one. It'll be stated in either 9 or 10. I can't remember which. I think it's 9. So, you get to see a little more on Nico. As you can see, that dream of Percy's wasn't just a dream. Don't think of Nico like the Hulk, more like the Dark Phoenix. His sanity plumets as he uses the dark side of his powers. He pretty much goes crazy and probably would turn on his own team if he lost control. Total badass! I mean, you aren't badass until you can go crazy and kill your teammates. Oh, speaking of sexy crazy people. I do look into my readers, I like to know what your trends are for stories you like and stuff. I know...I'm a creeper :(. Anyways, I see people from fandoms I hang around :D. Basically, when I'm not writing, which isn't very often thanks to my slavedriver, I hang around in the Hunger Games Cato/Peeta ship. So, hi to all of you that share my obsession with shippings! I'm also going to delve into the Vladimir Tod for Henry/Vlad. They are basically that version of Percy/Nico, let's be honest. Except, that hot jock boy is blonde and not black haired. Anyways, I'll see you next Sunday, unless you read my other stuff, then I'll see you tomorrow. Expect Braigi to be in next week's A/N, and the one for Sola tomorrow. Adios! _


	9. Chapter 9

_I continue to be amazed by the love I'm getting here. So, I'm out of town right now, I wrote this note in advance, but I'm making the time to post this chapter because I love you! I'll probably be in some dark corner in my friends house posting this, you can all put that image in your head. If you need imagery to picture that, just picture Nico doing so. Because I pretty much look like an older Nico. I'm feeling like shout outs are becoming a common thing here, but since you guys keep giving more and more reviews, I'll keep shouting at you. First we will do that, then I have some news to discuss._

_Make-It-Now: You can wait! Because you did! The twist is that this chapter isn't really the story, I just typed meaningless words, somehow they actually appear to be a story though. Actually that might actually make some sense on how I started with this._

_AzucenaXshadows: Oh good. I hate to disappoint. See, this is what I did in class, I'd just sit around and imagine things like this, and then my teacher would get all mad. So, I'm epic? Sweet! Clearly I don't know what you guys like, because I thought everyone would hate this story. Yes! I'm still trying to figure out what to do with them. Well, that's pretty much the case with everyone in the story._

_Veerayne: I love you, so I must tell the world of your story. I know! I keep telling them to, but they are shy and won't listen to me. Well, then there's Braigi telling me to ruin everyone's OTP (One True Pairing for those of you that don't know). You have! In that bathroom scene I just wanted Percy to press Nico against the wall and have his way with him! But you no give me that :(. That's the reason I moved to different posting days for each fic, so you guys don't have to suffer an entire week with nothing from me. Plus I enjoy posting days the most since it means more love._

_luckyducky51: Well, that's not all he has, as you find out in this chapter. I hate waiting too! Also since you are converted you can never leave._

_zarterpwns: I mix drugs in. We can creep together! Friendship! I'm so glad you are enjoying both, and I hope you keep loving them more and more._

_Reining: The penguins stole my cookies! I hired an assassin whale to take them out. Well...since you asked nicely...he'll die in a burning fire ^.^. Well, maybe not. I just like the big cliff! Oh, wait. This is chapter nine...that means... Nico only gets more badass from here, while I work to keep him away from sickeningly OP status. Chiron trusts Nico, and with Nico's overconfidence...well..._

_emthereble: I love you. And now you can sit through this completely random comment because as Braigi has told me, I love the dramatics. It was a cold and wintery night when we stood in...oh wait...that's from the second chapter of that one-shot I was thinking about writing. We lived in the future and we fought for our lives against aliens? No...that's an idea for the future...hmm... Oh well, I love you anyways._

_Alright, now that the random loving is out of the way, let's move on. I'm really not sure where the hell some people come up with blackouts, but it seems nobody can properly organize one. Like the one two weeks ago was more publicized than this so called one. I saw only one person even mentioning it, so I just said screw it and didn't care to participate. They haven't done anything yet, and they probably aren't going to. At this point I think it's hurting us more than the people running the site. So, I looked at a calendar and counted out how long it'll be before this ends, if I only have 25 chapters. It ended up pushing into October...stop your cheering. Now, I'm going to leave you guys with a decision. I'll let you decide if you want to keep posting to one chapter a week, or if you want me to post a second chapter on some occasions during the week. It'd probably be like Wednesday or Thursday. Just to speed things up. Like I said, your call. Now, the condition would be, to give me five reviews on the chapter I post on Sundays. If I get that, you get your extra chapter. Though, I expect the same from the extra chapter. I don't want to lose reviews if I post another chapter in the week. Considering I'm getting five or more right now, I don't see this as an issue. _

_Now, one last thing before we begin with the story. It's a long ways away until the end, but I had some news. Braigi told me not to say anything, but I had already let it slip to a few of you. So, that secret is out of the bag, sort of. Anyways, the reason I'm interested in speeding up the process is because I had an idea for a reward for you guys. Remember I said if you keep giving me the high number of reviews I'd give you a reward? Well, Braigi and I were discussing the end of the fic and an idea popped into my head. Long story short, I have an idea for a sequel to Choke. I know, let the celebration begin. A lot of you were sad to learn it would only be 25 chapters, well if this works out it won't end here. Now, it was just an idea, keep that in mind. Things might change from now and then. Braigi or myself might decide to not go through with it, but it's a pretty good idea that I know you all will enjoy. Pretty much I'll be taking Choke to a bigger playing field. So, that's my big announcement. Like I said, long ways off, not sure yet. But if you guys keep doing what you're doing, I'll fight for that sequel until I'm blue in the face. Alright, enough rambling from me. Let's get on with the story so you can learn about Nico._

_Warning: I drew a llama!_

_Disclaimer: Own this I do not._

Chapter 9

"Are you sure about this?" Chiron asked, rubbing his temple.

"I'm positive." Nico stood next to the window, peering out through the window. "I don't think he's aware of it yet, though."

"I hate to say this, but I need you to get him back here immediately, use any means necessary."

Nico blinked a few times, staring at the back of Chiron's head. "You've never said any means necessary before."

"Yes, well this situation calls for it. Percy will be a danger to himself and to others on the outside. We need to get him back here for training." There was a knock at the door and Leo popped his head in. "Have you located him yet, Leo?"

"No, sir," Leo said, looking at a device in his hand. "It's like he dropped off the face of the earth. No trace of him. Nobody can find him." Nico sighed as he looked back out the window.

"He couldn't have many places to hide," Nico said, placing his head against the glass. "He'll either be at his apartment or his parents' place."

"If the enemy hasn't got him," Leo mumbled, earning a glare from both Chiron and Nico. "Sorry."

Chiron sighed. He leaned back in his chair to think. "Nico, I want you and Jason to go out there and look for him."

"Do you want me to lock him in his room when I get him back, while I'm at it," Nico mumbled sarcastically before vanishing from the room.

He reappeared in Jason's room to find a very disturbing scene. "Fuck, Nico, don't you know how to knock?" Jason yelled, rolling off of Apollo. The older blonde quickly pulled the covers up to cover both of them. Nico, however, remained unfazed.

He just rolled his eyes and tossed Jason his clothes. "Get dressed, we have to go." Jason grumbled and slid his boxers on under the covers. He gave Apollo a quick kiss before climbing out of bed to finish getting dressed.

"Where are we going?" Jason asked once he was finished.

"Chiron's orders are to bring Percy back."

"Well good luck to both of you," Apollo said happily, placing his hands behind his head. Jason scowled at him. Nico smiled and pulled Jason closer, vanishing in a wave of darkness.

They stumbled when they landed in Percy's room. They both looked around. It still looked deserted. "He isn't here," Jason said.

"You think?" Nico said, sitting down on Percy's bed. He heard movement in the next room and quickly ported from the bed to the door. He managed to lock it just before the door rattled.

"I swore I heard something," Annabeth said from the other side.

"You know Percy's still at the hospital, Annabeth," Grover called from farther away.

Nico sighed and walked back towards Jason. "We need to go," Jason whispered. Nico nodded and shadowed them away. They came to rest in the middle of Central Park. Jason looked around to make sure nobody had noticed them. He heard a sound of pain come from Nico and looked back at him. "Are you ok?" Nico was hunched over, hands clutching at his face.

"I'm fine," Nico strained to get out.

"Nico, look at me." Nico shook his head. "Nico, look at me now. You're exerting yourself."

"I'm fine," Nico growled, finally turning his head slightly to look at Jason. Jason gulped as he saw the dark shadows covering Nico's eyes. "I just need a moment."

"W-We should just walk." Nico nodded. He strained to stand back up. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes were back to normal. He motioned for them to start walking and they headed forward. "Where are we going?"

"Percy's parents. It's the only other place I can think he would be." Even though he had returned to normal his voice was still ragged. It made Jason look at him in concern. "I'm fine, Jason," Nico said, having caught Jason looking at him. "We all have our limits."

"I don't know if I would call yours a limit." Nico huffed at him.

They made their way through the park, nearly at the exit when they spotted someone blocking their path. Nico growled at the blonde in front of them. "Now where do you think you two are going?" Luke sneered at them.

A ball of shadows was pulled into Nico's hand. The air crackled around Jason. "Get out of the way, Luke," Jason growled. Luke just smiled sickeningly at them. In the blink of an eye another figure appeared next to Luke. He was of Asian origin. A black eyepatch was placed over his left eye. He laid his arm over Luke's shoulder, supporting himself. "Scared to take us alone?"

Luke laughed dryly. "Hardly. I just think Ethan here would...enjoy playing with Nico."

Nico was about to retort to that when he heard something whistling above his head. He looked up just in time to shove Jason out of the way as a car crashed to the ground where they had just been standing. He looked back over at the two enemy agents, however, Ethan had vanished. Nico yelped as he was dragged up by his collar. He felt his body began to shift. Ethan was going to teleport him. He quickly vanished, pulling himself free of the teleportation pull.

Jason shot a bolt of lightning at Luke, who took the blast at full force. Luke just seemed to shrug it off. He smiled at Jason and ran at the boy. He tackled the other blonde into a tree, cracking the trunk of the tree. Jason screamed from the pain of the impact. He balled his fists and lightning flared from his eyes. Electricity exploded off of him, sending Luke through the air. He bounced across the grass until he slid to a stop, with his face screwed up in mild pain.

Luke growled, rising to his feet. He ripped a tree out of the ground and chunked it at Jason. Jason clapped his hands together, sending out a wave of electricity, causing the tree to explode. However, he was caught off guard from the charge from Luke that followed. He was punched in the gut, sending him back a few feet. His foot was yanked backwards before he hit the ground and Luke's knee came in contact with his back.

Nico stood still, watching as Ethan appeared in different spots around him. The boy was taunting him. He just had to find the right opportunity to strike. He reached out for an attempt to grab the boy with shadow, but missed by a second. He immediately had to roll out of the way as a boulder appeared above him. He was getting annoyed.

A fist came in contact with his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. He looked up to see Ethan and Luke smirking at him. Now he was pissed. Screw Chiron's rules. He flung his hands up at the two cocky boys over him, releasing a burst of light. The two now stumbled around, unable to see anything. Nico released wrapped a shadow around Luke's neck, and yanked him to the ground, the tentacle choking him as it sunk into the ground.

He vanished and reappeared in front of Ethan, sending a knee into the boy's gut. The boy was about to strike back when he noticed Luke choking on the ground. He growled and extended his hand out to Luke, the blonde vanished. Then Ethan was gone. Nico sighed, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Then he noticed Jason wasn't there.

He ran over to where he had last seen the blonde to find him hunched over a tree, unconscious. Nico cursed under his breath before running over to the boy. He wrapped an arm around him and vanished. Reappearing in U.N.I.T.'s hospital. "He needs help!" Nico yelled. A boy with shaggy black hair and brown eyes came up to them.

"What happened?"

"Obviously, we ran into the enemy," Nico growled.

"No, need for insulting words, Nico. I'll fix him up."

Nico sighed and laid Jason down on a bed. "Sorry, Michael." Michael just shrugged. "I need to get back out there, but make sure you let Apollo know what happened." Michael nodded and Nico vanished once again.

* * *

Percy hadn't said much since he had woken up. He really didn't know what to say. He felt like his whole life had been a lie. His very birth had been a manipulated event. After all the resentment he had shown towards his parents, he now knew they had done everything to protect him. Percy contemplated going back to his apartment, but didn't want to endanger his friends. Part of him wanted to see Will, but again, he would be in danger. Luke and Nico were two opposing factors. He felt something for both of them, but they were both clearly dangerous. The question was, who should he be more afraid of?

Out of all of it, though, his mind kept shifting back to Nico. Nico had been the one single factor that had been there since all of this weird stuff had started. He had kept giving Percy mixed signals, though. One moment he would be so cold towards Percy, and the next he seemed like he wanted to be more with Percy. Maybe he owed it to the boy to at least hear him out. He had saved Percy from those soldiers on the roof. If Luke was as bad as Nico and Jason said he was, then Nico might have saved him twice. How was he supposed to know who to trust, though? Percy couldn't help but think back to that dream. That voice had said Nico was a threat. It had said Nico was using him, that he would lead Percy down a path of destruction.

Yet, there was something in the dark haired boys eyes. A lot of the times, when he would look at Percy, his eyes were soft. They had a look of sadness to them. When he looked at Nico's eyes he didn't feel like the boy was going to do him harm. Luke didn't appear to be a threat on the outside, though. Maybe they were opposites. One a wolf in sheep's clothing, and the other a sheep in wolf's clothing? What if the real threat was the one that didn't appear to be? At this point, Percy wouldn't doubt it. Nothing was as it seemed anymore. So, it could only make sense that Luke's appearance was a lie as well.

In a hasty decision he stood up from his bed and picked up his phone from on top of his dresser. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Luke's number. He could be risking his life doing this, but he had to know the truth.

* * *

Percy fidgeted nervously as he waited at the same coffee shop he and Luke had sat at a week ago. Now everything was different, though. He hadn't seen Luke as a threat back then. Now, he felt like he had walked willingly into the lion's den. He spotted Luke's blonde head heading over to him. He sat up straight and braced himself for whatever happened. Luke sat down at the table, Percy immediately noticed a bruise on the boy's neck.

"Hello, Percy. I'm glad to see you haven't been scared off yet. I'm sure those horrible people at U.N.I.T. probably told you all sorts of horrible things about me."

"Th-They said you were the enemy," Percy replied, voice shaking. Right now, Luke felt like a lion ready to pounce him. He felt like crap, he was supposed to be someone important to them. They wouldn't hurt him, would they? He was also skilled in martial arts, but what was that compared to someone who could hurl concrete at someone like it was a pebble? These people felt out of his league.

"Did they? Do you think I'm a threat, Percy?"

Percy looked Luke over. He looked the same as he had a week ago. He had that same warm and friendly feel to him. Yet, there was a hint of something dangerous in his eyes. "I-I don't know. I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Don't tell me you trust Nico over me. Nico is a first class liar. He does nothing but deceive people. Like I'm sure he is doing to you. You saw what he is. He's a monster. Do you know his big flaw? His big weakness?" Percy shook his head. "The more of those shadows he uses, the more dangerous he becomes. He loses self-control. He pretty much goes insane. He was going to kill me last night, and he wouldn't have had a second thought about it."

He had seen Nico become that demon last night. Maybe things were as they seemed. Maybe Nico was the dangerous one. Percy just stared down at the table. Why couldn't this all have been a dream?

"Let me guess, you trusted him?"

Percy nodded his head, sadly. "He lied to me. He had told me in the beginning that he didn't know you. Then Jason told me the truth."

Luke smirked. "Well, that may be one of Jason's few redeeming qualities. He usually tells the truth. Too bad he chose the wrong side, the losing side." Percy looked up at Luke. "You see, Percy, my boss is going to win this war soon, and I want you on our side, the winning side. We wouldn't do the things that these people would want to do to you."

A flare of anger flashed in Percy's eyes. "You tried to kidnap me with soldiers!"

Luke looked at him with confusion. "We did? Wasn't by my order. I was going to let you come running to me, since you seemed like you were about to." Percy looked at him with pure confusion. He felt dizzy again. Something about Luke's face seemed to be telling the truth. If it were true, though, then that would mean...

"Th-They kidnapped me? They set it up so I would go with Nico?" Percy's breath was rapidly quickening. He now had trouble breathing. They had kidnapped him. He wanted to pass out, everything was spinning.

"You don't look so good, Percy. Why don't you come with me and you can rest?" Luke asked, reaching out to him.

"No!" Percy screamed, knocking the hand away. He stumbled out of his chair, drawing some attention to them. "Stay away from me!" Then he began running. He wasn't sure where he was going to go yet, but he just knew he had to get away.

He skidded to a halt when he saw Nico ahead of him. He turned to run the other way, but the boy appeared in front of him again. "I just want to talk, Percy," he said pleadingly.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I'm sorry about last night, you weren't supposed to see that."

"That's not what I meant!" Percy yelled back, making Nico flinch. "You lied to me! You set the whole thing up to get me to come with you that day at school. How am I supposed to trust you?" Nico didn't say anything, he wouldn't even meet Percy's eyes. "Well?"

"I did what I had to, ok?" He finally turned a glare on Percy. "I don't regret what I did. I had to get you away from Luke!"

"I'm just a pawn in this game you all are playing! That's all you people want me for, a means to your own end."

"That isn't true, Percy."

"How can I trust you?"

Nico looked down, he looked hurt. Percy didn't soften, though. Nico had crossed a line with him. "You don't have to. Just come back with me. Jason's been hurt, and you need to continue your training. I don't care if you hate me. I don't care if you don't want to have anything to do with me while you are there, but I want you safe and away from the likes of Luke."

"No," Percy replied in a whisper.

"Percy, please! You are a danger to everyone around you in your current state. Your second power is telepathy. That is the most dangerous power there is. Nobody can hide anything from you, and nobody can refuse any command you give them when you use your power. You are the most powerful and dangerous piece on the board right now, and we just want to make sure you aren't used for the wrong purpose."

"You do want to use me, though."

Nico still wouldn't look at him. "I-It's not like that. Do you want to be used to worsen the condition of the world or help make it a better place? If you want to help, then you want to side with us. Chiron is a good man that wants to improve the condition the world is in. He wants to help you." There was a pause. "I won't hurt you."

"How can I know that for sure?" Nico bit on his lip, refusing to look up. "I won't come with you if you can't give me an answer to that."

Percy turned to walk off. "Because, I care about you!" Nico screamed. It made Percy stop in his tracks. He turned around to look at Nico, but before he could say anything to the boy he vanished. Percy didn't move from his spot for a while. He just stood and stared at the spot that Nico had been moments ago. Nico's words had caught him off guard. Should he be happy or upset about this? On one hand, he did feel something for Nico. He wasn't quite sure what it was yet, but his mind was often on the dark headed boy. He made Percy feel warm whenever he was near Nico, this past encounter excluded. The other side was that Nico was dangerous, and Percy wasn't sure just how dangerous yet.

* * *

Percy hadn't said anything since he had gotten home. His parents kept poking their heads into his room to check on him. His head hadn't stopped spinning since he had run away from Luke. Everything that was happening, it was just too much. He had this constant high-pitched tone going on in the back of his mind. It was giving him a headache.

"_Lady, get your fat ass and your ugly kid out of the street and move. I got deliveries to make here."_

"_Look at the legs on that bitch._"

"_I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have the money to pay my bills at the end of the month. My landlord is going to kick me out. I'll be forced to live on the streets._"

Percy sat up in bed. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to will the headache away. Was he going crazy? He was hearing voices now. They were all playing in his head at once. Then something Nico had said came to him. Nico had called him a telepath. Was that what he was doing? Reading minds. Well, it gave him a headache, and he wished it would just go away.

He stood up from his bed to go get some tylenol. He stopped in his doorway when he heard another voice in his head. "_He must be so angry with us. We let our work come first so much when he needed us. How can he not hate us?_" Percy peered around the corner to see his mother sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee. He frowned at the back of her head. He didn't hate his parents, sure they frustrated him, but he didn't hate them.

He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with this power. He felt like he was invading people's privacy, which he was. He could also get away with anything, nobody would ever tell him no. All this power scared him. He needed to learn control. Could his parents teach him? If they could, why hadn't they already? They could have prepared him for this years ago. So, maybe they couldn't. That would leave his only two options to be the two organizations. Which one could he trust, though?

"Mom? Dad?" Poseidon and Sally looked up at him as he came and sat on the couch.

"What is it, Percy?" Sally asked softly. They were concerned for him. For the first time in his life, they were actually showing him concern. It didn't change what had to be done, though.

"I need to ask you both something." They both nodded for him to continue. "I-You don't know how to control these powers do you?"

Poseidon sighed and shook his head. "We understand much about them, but the one thing that escapes us is how they use their powers. We can understand the genetic code, but not what makes each power tick."

"So, I'll be out of control unless I get one of them to show me how to control this."

"If you wish to go back to them, we won't stop you. We will be keeping an eye on you, though. Just in case you need us."

Percy nodded. "I'll be fine. I don't think they want to harm me, at least I hope not." Percy stood back up and sighed. "Now I just need to figure out how to get in touch with them."

Sally arched an eyebrow. "Didn't you escape from their facility?"

Percy chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I sort of was in too much of a hurry to pay attention." He started walking back to his room. "I think I'll be fine, though. Nico usually pops up when I least expect it." Percy closed his door behind him and plopped back onto his bed.

* * *

It was close to midnight. Percy was walking down random streets, hoping that Nico would show up to take him back to the U.N.I.T. He had his backpack strapped to his back. He had told his parents he was going out, and that he may not be back. It all depended on the dark hair boy that seemed to haunt his thoughts. Should he make a move for Nico? He seemed to feel something for the mysterious boy, but at the same time he didn't even know if he could trust him.

He should have been paying more attention to where he was going. He slammed into a hard surface and fell back onto the ground. He looked up into Luke's eyes. They were no longer warm and friendly, they were cold. Luke made an attempt to grab him. "No!" Percy yelled, thrusting his hand forward in attempt to stop Luke. It was like a concussive blast went off. Luke went flying backwards, into the street.

"_I'm going to kill him,_" Percy heard from in his head. Luke growled and sent Percy a death glare. Percy looked down at his hand again. He tried to summon another blast from his palm as Luke approached him, but to no avail. Percy backed against the wall of a building. Luke gripped his shirt, lifting him off the ground. If his powers didn't work when he wanted to, he still had martial arts. Percy thrust his fist out, catching Luke in the stomach. Luke seemed caught off guard, so Percy kicked him in the side. Luke stumbled to his left. After a few seconds, Luke stood back up and walked back towards Percy. Percy prepared another punch and sent it at Luke's chest.

"Fuck!" Percy yelled when his fist came in contact with Luke's torso. It felt like hitting a brick wall. Luke smirked at him and gripped his throat. He lifted Percy off the ground once again, tightening his grip. Percy's vision began to blur.

A huge beam of light came crashing into Luke's side, exploding on contact. Percy flew backwards and landed on his back. He looked up as the smoke cleared. There was a hole in the side of the building. Percy could see Luke's legs hanging out the window. Percy's eyes darted to the origin of the beam. Nico stumbled forward, falling to the ground. Apparently using the light side of his powers had an effect on him too.

Percy pulled himself to his feet and jogged over to the fallen boy. Nico groaned as Percy rolled him over. He had his eyes closed and his heart was beating rapidly. Percy heard glass shatter. He looked up to see Luke climbing out of the building. "Nico! Nico, you need to wake up!" Percy yelled, shaking the small boy. "We need to get out of here. Come on! Use your magic shadow powers and pull a Nightcrawler!"

Percy stood up and stood in front of Nico. Luke bared his teeth at Percy as he slowly walked towards him, fists clenched at his side. He ripped a light pole out of the ground as he passed it. Luke pulled it behind his head, like a baseball bat. Time slowed down as Luke swung at him. Luke's eyes were full of nothing but anger. He wanted to tear the both of them limb from limb. Percy felt Nico clutch his ankle. Nico blinked and looked up to see Luke about to attack Percy.

Everything after that happened in a flash. Nico jumped up and tackled Percy, the pole hitting Nico in the back, sending the two of them through the air. With what little strength he had, Nico wrapped them in shadows and ported them away. They landed on the floor in a dark room. Upon impact, a wave of thoughts flew through Percy's head.

* * *

Jason walked around the corner. Nico was perched against the wall. "He's off to have dinner with his family right now." Jason leaned against the opposite wall in their alleyway. "I can see why you like him."

"I don't like him," Nico growled.

Jason chuckled. "Whatever you say, Nico. You were right about them being onto Percy. Luke was with him when I arrived. I think he saw me. He bolted out of there pretty quickly."

"We need to pull him in soon then."

"What are you thinking?" Nico didn't answer, he just pushed off the wall and walked off. He tossed a wave over his shoulder as he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Nico sat in a van with some men. "I just need you to scare him a little. He needs to come with us. If not, they will find him and we will lose. So, point your guns at him. Make him think he needs to come with me if he wants to live. Not a hard job, right?" Nico vanished from the van and reappeared inside the building he found Percy.

He walked the halls in silence. Leo should be sending out the message soon, Nico thought. He cloaked himself in shadows and continued down the hallway. He stood outside of Percy's classroom, watching the green eyed boy. Why wasn't he getting up? Why wasn't he running? He was just sitting there being scared. "Run," Nico mumbled under his breath.

Percy didn't move, though. Nico growled and threw the door open. He appeared from the shadows and marched into the classroom. Not even paying attention to the teacher yelling at him, he yanked Percy out of the desk.

* * *

Nico stood in what appeared to be an observatory. He took a seat on one of the window edges and looked out at the city. The sun was starting to set on the city.

"Don't move, please." Nico turned his head to find Rachel sitting in a chair under a small tree they kept up there. She had a sketchpad in hand and was alternating her attention with it and looking at Nico. "Sorry. It just looked like something I needed to draw." Nico grunted. "Problems?"

"Don't want to talk about it, Rachel."

"I take it you're having problems with Percy."

Nico tossed her a glare from the corner of his eye. "You really need to stop looking at my future."

"Wasn't yours I was looking at. I've told you before that your future is-"

"Unclear. I know." Nico sighed.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Nico let his head fall against the glass. "Yea," he mumbled. He stared out at the city again. "There hasn't been any change?"

He saw Rachel shake her head in the glass. "I'm sorry. You save his life and then nothing." Nico felt tears sting at his eyes. He chewed on his lip as he tried to will them away.

"I guess it'll be worth it if he's as important as you said he is going to be."

* * *

Nico appeared much younger now. He stood in the doorway with a slightly taller girl, listening to his parents talk to a strange man. The man was very tall and didn't look to be a kind person. He sat at the table with Nico's parents.

"No, we can't let you take our son," Nico's father stated.

"I wasn't exactly asking for your permission, Mr. di Angelo," the man sneered back at Nico's father.

"I'll call the police if you are going to make threats against me or my family!"

"Can't we talk about this rationally? Nico is...special. I just want to help him."

"You mean make him into a monster," Nico's mother spat at the man.

"He could help me with a lot of my work in this world," the tall man stated.

"Well you can't have him."

"Like I said, I wasn't asking. Nico has so much potential. I just want to help him reach that full potential."

"Get out of our house!" Nico's father yelled.

The man stood up and made his way to the door. "You've only made this more complicated for yourself, Mr. di Angelo."

* * *

Nico appeared to be around the same age as he had been in the last memory. He sat in the back of a car with his sister. His parents sat up front, laughing about something. Nico stared out the window, looking out at the moon hanging in the sky. The sky was so beautiful, he thought. A perfect mixture of light and darkness.

He jerked his head away when he heard his mother scream. His father jerked the steering wheel and the car turned sharply to the left. Unfortunately, there was a cliff to their left. The car smashed through the guard rail and plummeted to the ground below. His sister began crying. His mother turned to look at them one last time before their eminent death. Nico felt cold as he saw the ground approaching. His mother let out a sharp gasp. She was staring at him, but he didn't understand what was upsetting her. He turned his head to Bianca, who gasped at him as well.

He looked at his window to see his reflection. Shadows had covered his eyes. He reached up to touch his face. Shadows poured like tears down his face. They spread over his body, covering him in blackness. He looked back at the ground below. They were about to hit. He went to let out a scream but the shadows poured into his mouth. He didn't see anything after that.

He blinked a few times. All he saw was a broken guard rail and trees blowing in the wind. Nico slowly sat up, staring at the broken space in the metal railing. He didn't understand what had happened. How did he get here? Where was his family? Why was he laying in the middle of the road?

Nico slowly pushed himself off the ground. He stumbled a few times. His legs felt weak. He walked over to the railing and peered down. There was a dark cloud of smoke rising from the ground below. Nico let out a choked sob. He fell back onto the ground, pulling his knees to his chest. How had he escaped? It didn't make any sense.

Nico jerked his head up when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked up at the man that had come to visit his house. "Hello, Nico. Do you remember me?" Nico nodded his head, wiping at his the tears forming in his eyes. "My name is Kronos, and I want to help you with this gift you have just discovered." He held his hand out to Nico, but the boy didn't take it. He didn't feel safe with this man. He wanted away from him. Nico scooted backwards and the man let his smile fall. "Now, now, there is no need to run."

"Stay away," Nico whispered. The man glared at him. He moved closer to Nico. "I said stay away!" Nico yelled. Shadows erupted around him and shoved the tall man back. The shadows pinned him to the rock wall that lay on the right side of the road. Nico's voice took on a darker quality. "Don't touch me." Shadows rose from the ground around Nico's feet. It covered his body and carried him away from the scene.

* * *

Percy blinked his eyes. He had a horrible headache. He looked to his left. Nico was lying next to him, still unconscious. The two of them were lying very close together. Nico's arm was draped around Percy's side, and Percy's arms were around Nico's waist. He slid one of his hands up to the boy's face, brushing a strand of hair out of the boy's face. Percy frowned at the unconscious boy. He had been through a lot of shit in his life. No wonder he was so defensive. Was he scared Percy was going to treat him like Luke had treated him? Was he scared Percy would abandon him?

Nico's scrunched up his face in pain. He rolled away from Percy and began screaming in pain. Percy shot up from his place on the floor and picked Nico up bridal style. Nico continued to scream as Percy opened the door and ran into the hall. Was Nico's back broken? Oh god, what if he had made it worse by picking Nico up?

Nico gripped at Percy's shirt tightly as Percy entered the elevator. "Floor t-ten," Nico whispered. Percy wasted no time, hitting the number ten button.

"Hang in there," Percy whispered. The doors slid open to reveal a bright white hallway. "I need help!" A few doors swung open and some people came out. Percy noticed Apollo's head poking out from one of the doors. A woman with long black hair pulled a gurney towards Percy.

"Lay him down," she said calmly. Reluctantly, Percy lowered Nico and let the boy go. Nico, however, still clutched Percy's shirt. The woman pried the hand off and a young boy came up to help her steer it to a room. Percy followed after them, but Apollo extended an arm to stop him.

"He'll be alright, Percy," Apollo said quietly. He shut the door behind him. He led Percy over to some chairs and sat them down. "What happened?"

"Lu-Luke attacked. Nico tried getting us out, but got hit before we teleported. He got hit with a light pole. What if his back is broken?" Percy rambled hysterically.

Apollo squeezed his arm. "He'll be ok. Our healers are good at what they do." Apollo let out a long sigh. "I'm glad you came back, though. Even if it isn't under good circumstances." He eyes Percy for a moment. "You are staying, right?"

"I-I guess. For now." Apollo nodded. "Is it true that Jason got hurt too?" Apollo nodded again. "Can-Can I see him?"

_Plot twist! Who saw that coming? By that, I mean that it was Nico setting up the thing at the school. And Nico admits he has a thing for Percy! But...now he's all injured...and there was that thing from Rachel about his future being unclear. Also, how was Nico's past? He's always such a tragic character. Now you know why Nico hates Luke for joining the enemy. I'm working on Nico's character as well, he needs some work. I don't want to border him on the line of a flat OP character. Plus I talk about him going crazy as he uses his shadow powers, but haven't really shown you any of that. Well that is going to change! Next chapter...fluff? Wtf...who let fluff into my story? Gtfo fluff bunny! Oh, and you can find out what I took out in the next chapter to give you another Will and Nico moment in the next chapter. You're all going to hate yourselves for suggesting it ^.^. Anyways, goodbye until next time._


	10. Chapter 10

_It looks like I survived the angry ranting from Braigi because I exposed a sequel. Good news for you, he said since I brought it up long before the story ended, I'm forced to write a sequel. I'm going to end Choke in a good way, though. It'll be done so that if you don't want to read the sequel, you don't have to. In other words, it'll look like it could end where it is. The ending will work like this, I'll have the big event at the end. Everyone will be all happy and stuff. Then I'll post an epilogue chapter. It'll be wrapping up things and be a series of events leading up to the sequel. Or I might make it an entirely separate fic, just trying to accommodate any of you that may not want a sequel._

_In other news, when I'm done with Choke I'll give it a month or so after the epilogue before I start the sequel. That being said, I'll have Sundays free. Now, what that means is, I'll be deciding on what to do with that time. I might take prompts from you guys to write short chapter fics or one-shots, so go ahead and send me your prompts if you want me to write something for you. If I like it and think I can work with it, I'll give it a shot. I already got a request for a Luke/Nico fic. I did turn down a request for that pairing like a week prior, but when I got the second one I said what the hell. So, I might do that. Not deciding on anything until I finish Choke. My other option is, to finish that 'one-shot', The One That Got Away. I got tons of requests to have Percy go after Nico, so I figured I'd see what I could do. Now I already wrote out the second chapter. I've just been too busy to write the third, and probably last chapter. But if I do that, it will take up at least two weeks. The final option is to start an entirely new fic. I do have one or two ideas. If this option ends up happening, I'll postpone Choke's sequel until Sola Amor is finished. Alright let's do some shout outs._

_Veerayne: Thank you! I know, he's always so tragic in the books, I just wanted to capture that in this one. I just want to cuddle him. But now you see why he's so damaged in Choke. I don't know what I was thinking when I was writing that scene where he got hit. The back part of my mind, the part mindlessly typing everything out, apparently registered Nico got his back broken. But my main thoughts didn't seem to register that until I got comments on it. It made Braigi facepalm when I mentioned it to him. Haha. Well, now you get to find out what I took out to give you that Will and Nico scene._

_Guest: Thank you so much! I never got a standing ovation before. I'm glad you enjoyed Nico's tragic past. I give you an update now :D._

_HeyItsAmber: Nobody is supposed to know about that bunny! Although, that might be Nico's personality bunny. I'm not really sure. You stole my bunnies :(. Don't hurt Hellfire bunny, he just got out of the hospital._

_Reining: I did! Well, I look like an older Nico. That's the best way to explain that. But they have the best candy. I'm still thinking all of this is a fluke. Screw blackout days! He did! Now, you get fluffy moments this chapter. I don't know how fluff bunny got into this story. I told him he was only allowed in Sola Amor. Yes! I am glad you enjoyed that line! I gave Nico a Percy bunny to cuddle with while in the hospital, I'm sure he'll pull through._

_Luckyducky: I'm glad you enjoy my stuff so much!_

_Guest2: I'm glad you are keeping an eye out for my story. It makes me happy. I add a little drug to the plot...oh wait...that means plot bunnies are getting high. Shit._

_Zarterpwns: Aw. Thank you. Yes, there will be a sequel. I don't get a choice anymore. Thanks for the love._

_Make-It-Now: Yes, shit always goes down with my stories. Just like Tuesday. You remember what I'm going to say that you said :D. And that big moment in that story that will top all other moments in anything! Mwhahaha (__**lightning**__) Ahem. You are always in the shout outs. SKSIEESISLEWIHSFLS deal with it._

_Pretty good, eight reviews. Hmm. So, if I can get Braigi to edit an extra chapter for me this week, I will be posting an extra chapter. It'll either be Wednesday or Thursday. Not sure which yet. The condition will be...hmm...I wanna say 5, but that seems like an easy number to get now a days. I guess I could make it ten. I'm confident enough that I could probably get that if it's for an extra chapter. So yes, 10 reviews, and I'll post an extra chapter. Ha. The problem with that is, I'll have to start writing more Choke chapters. I just finished chapter 12, so I'll need to speed up my writing. I'm already doubling up on A Tale of Love and Thrones. Oh, and I changed the imagery as you can see. That's supposed to be Nico in the picture. Creepy, right? I also have started uploading Choke to deviantArt. If you're in the PJO slash group you already knew that, though. Anyways, I've kept you waiting to find out what happened to Nico long enough. On with the chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Nope_

_Warning: Dammit, fluff bunny. I told you to stay out of this story. What? You infected the next chapter too? Dammit!_

Chapter 10

Jason looked up as Percy and Apollo entered the room. "You're back!" Jason said happily. His eyes flashed with pain as he grabbed his back. His face had a dark bruise on his left cheek and his torso was covered in wrappings. Apollo went and sat down on the bed with him, taking Jason's hand in his own. "What was that commotion outside?"

Percy lowered his gaze, taking a seat next to the bed. "Nico got hurt bringing me back," Percy said quietly.

"Is he alright?" Jason asked, looking between Apollo and Percy.

Apollo stroked his hand. "I don't know. The healers have him," Apollo said quietly.

"What happened to you, Jason?" Percy asked.

Jason leaned back in the bed. "Nico and I were out looking for you. Luke and another agent found us. I got the shit kicked out of me. I was a little distracted at the time. Nico had been porting us around. I was afraid he was worn out. I didn't want him to...lose control."

"What is up with all of that?" Percy asked.

Jason let out a long sigh. "Nico is...damaged. He's powerful and damaged. He's the strongest person here, and probably stronger than the others in the other agency. It's why a problem he has is overconfidence. He knows the limits of his powers in and out. He had to in order to survive before he came here. I-I'm not sure I fully understand why he is the way he is. His powers reflect his state of mind. One half light, the other dark. He uses energy like the rest of us with his powers, but with him it's a little different. His power over light uses more of his energy, so he'll tire faster when using it. His powers over shadow and darkness use less of his energy, but it damages his sanity when he does."

"Does he go back to normal or is it permanent?"

"He can cool off and get back to normal, but I feel like the deeper he goes, the more of himself he loses. Chiron thinks he may eventually reach a point where he just goes insane."

"What would happen to him?"

Jason looked Percy in the eye. "Destruction? He would see everyone as an enemy. He could destroy himself. You saw what he was starting to become the other night, I hear. I think something snapped within him the night his powers emerged. The emotional trauma of losing his family might have been too much for him. My point is: he's powerful. He's my best friend, and I don't want to lose him to his own power."

Percy smiled at Jason. "I'll make sure he doesn't."

An hour passed and they still hadn't heard anything about Nico. "You should go check on him," Jason suggested. Percy nodded and stood up. He gave the two blondes a wave before shutting the door on his way out. He headed down the hall in the direction he saw them take Nico.

He found Chiron standing in front of a glass window. Percy silently walked up to the taller man, looking inside the room. Nico lay on his stomach on a table, three people stood around him. Their hands were placed on Nico's back. Nico let out a loud scream. Percy could see a bone move underneath his skin. Unable to watch, Percy looked up at Chiron. The man's eyes were trained solely on Nico, not even blinking. "Is he going to be alright?" Percy asked in a whisper.

"Yes," Chiron replied. He finally blinked and looked at Percy. "He's made it through worse than this."

"When he shadow traveled us back here, I looked into his mind. I saw something about Nico going to die. This isn't-"

Chiron cut him off. "I cannot say, Percy. It is possible that this was going to be the moment Rachel saw, but I wouldn't fall into a sense of security."

"Why would he do it? Why risk his life for me?"

"You are special, Percy. Nico realizes this. He has always done whatever it took to get a job done. If that means giving his life to ensure the prosperity of the company by letting you do what you need to do, he will do it."

Percy frowned up at the taller man. "I don't want him to, though." There was a pain in Percy's chest as Nico let out another scream.

Chiron placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "It'll be over soon." He guided Percy away from the window. "I take your return as a good sign?"

"I need to finish my training. I don't want to be a danger."

Chiron nodded. "Good. We will start again first thing in the morning. However, you should know that you will always be in danger as long as the Consortium is still standing."

"Who?" Percy asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't told you their name yet, have we?" Percy shook his head. "That is the name of Luke's organization. It's headed by a man named Kronos, a very sinister man."

"He tried to get Nico to join him. He killed Nico's parents."

Chiron eyed him for a moment. "Yes. How did you know that?"

"It was another memory I saw," Percy said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I see. Yes, you will need to learn to control that."

"I know. I don't want to force people to do what I want them to, and I don't want to invade their private thoughts. Knowing what I did the night I escaped, I feel...scared...of myself. Nico didn't have a choice but to obey me. It's scary to think I could accidentally do that, and someone I care about couldn't stop from doing whatever I ordered." Chiron raised an eyebrow at Percy. "I-I mean...Nico...I don't..."

Chiron started to chuckle. "Relax, Percy. I'm not blind to things. I knew Nico had taken a special interest in you before you even arrived here." Percy's cheeks burned slightly. "Now, you should get some rest. Nico should be awake by the time you wake up." Percy nodded, letting out a yawn. He hadn't realized how tired he was until Chiron mentioned sleep.

* * *

Percy quietly slipped the door Nico's room. The smaller boy looked over at him as he took a seat in a chair next to the bed. "Hey," Percy said quietly.

"Hey," Nico replied.

"How do you feel?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Just peachy. I love letting those guys do their thing to me."

"Why did you do it? You could have just lain on the ground and ported us. Why did you push me out of the way?"

Nico looked at the covers on his bed. "I didn't think Chiron would have been happy if you had gotten killed."

"Can you just be honest with me for once?" Percy asked, raising his voice. Nico scowled at him. Nico mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?"

"Because, I didn't want you to get hurt. Happy?" Nico asked, crossing his arms.

A small smile spread across Percy's lips. Nico looked away, his cheeks turning red. "Now, was that so hard?"

"I'm going to stab you if you don't wipe that smile off your face." Percy couldn't help but laugh at the clearly false threat. He stood up and sat on the bed next to Nico. Nico looked at him hesitantly, but didn't move away.

"I'm still not happy about the fact that you lied to me."

"I didn't expect you to be."

Percy brushed his fingers along the back of Nico's hand. The smaller boy looked down at the movement, but he still didn't pull away. "Can you just promise me something?"

"What?" Nico asked quietly.

"Can you just be honest with me? Stop being so defensive around me. I'm not like Luke. I don't want to hurt you." Percy let his finger's wrap around Nico's hand, squeezing it softly. Nico's eyes drifted up to meet Percy's.

"I know you're not. I can't say I'm sorry, though, because I'm not. I did what I felt I had to do to get you here, I don't regret that. I do promise to be more open and honest with you, though." Percy grinned at him. "I swear I'm going to end you, Percy Jackson, if you don't stop smiling like that."

"I don't think you are in any condition to be making threats, Nico," Percy stated, his grin growing wider. He leaned in closer to the injured boy. Nico eyed him suspiciously. Percy's lips brushed against Nico's cheek in a quick kiss. When Percy pulled away he noticed a blush on Nico's cheeks.

"Stop looking so full of yourself dammit!" Nico exclaimed. Percy chuckled. They sat in silence after that, Percy continued to play with Nico's fingers. Nico didn't complain anymore, though. He just watched Percy's fingers stroke his own softly.

There was a knock at the door and Chiron poked his head in. "I thought I'd find you here, Percy. Did you forget we had training?" Chiron asked.

"Oops. I'm sorry, Chiron," Percy replied.

Chiron waved it off. "No need to apologize. If Nico doesn't mind me stealing you away, I'd like to get back to your training."

Nico nodded his head. "I'll see you when I'm done," Percy said. Nico nodded again. Percy gave Nico's hand a final squeeze and followed Chiron out the door.

* * *

"What?" Percy asked, blinking at the taller man.

"I said, hit me," Chiron said. He placed his hands behind his back, it unnerved Percy. Percy's eyes flashed with determination, taking up a stance. He rushed at Chiron, ready to strike the man with his hand. Chiron hopped backwards out of Percy's attack, the smaller boy stumbling forward, falling on his face. Percy scowled at Chiron. He jumped back up and ran at the man. Chiron brought out one hand to knock each of Percy's blows away. "Try harder, Percy. You don't need to be afraid of hurting me."

Percy face filled with determination. He felt out around the room with his mind. He raised the box of things Chiron had used on Percy the last time they had been here. Percy flung piece after piece from the box at Chiron. Chiron had a warm smile on his face as he brought both of his hands out from behind his back. He raised his right hand to his face, pointing a finger upwards. One by one, the objects bounced off of an invisible wall in front of Chiron. Percy blinked at the man for a few seconds. He went back to his battle position, clenching his jaw.

He ran at Chiron as he flung the box at the man. Percy ran into an invisible object. It only came up to his stomach, so Percy's chest ended up splayed out over the top of this invisible wall. "How did you do that?" Percy asked.

"Force fields," was Chiron's reply. "My power is in constant effect in order to shield us here from the Consortium's watchful eye. What do you think?" Chiron leaned against the invisible wall that Percy still lay on.

"It's pretty cool. What all can you do with it?"

"Block out trackers, use it as a shield, and trap enemies, to name a few things. You can use it too, to an extent. Telekinesis is just as much of an offensive power as it is defensive. We already covered it slightly when we discovered your power. When you stopped the pillow from hitting you, you shielded yourself. It's all about what you wish to do. Your offensive abilities rely on your willpower to move objects. Your defensive is about stopping objects. You can create a shield, or you can stop something and redirect it. That would allow you to go from defensive to offensive." Chiron stood back up. The wall vanished and Percy fell to the ground. Percy groaned as he sat up. "Your power is heavily reliant on your imagination. You have to be able to imagine the things you want to happen. You must see it clearly in your head. Eventually, you will be able to do everything as if it's second nature to you."

Chiron extended his hand down and helped Percy up. "What about my telepathy?"

Chiron returned his hands to their place behind his back. "Ah, yes. I'm afraid I can't help you with that. I'm not sure anyone can. We've only encountered a few cases throughout history, and none of them were even in my lifetime." He placed a hand to his chin. "I think it's something you will have to learn on your own. I have faith in you to figure it out."

Percy frowned at the man. "What am I supposed to do until then? I don't want to force people to do things they don't want to. I don't want to invade people's thoughts."

"Just try and stay calm, I have a feeling that it reacts to your emotional state." Percy nodded. "Now, I think we are done today. We will pick this up tomorrow. I believe you promised someone to go back and see them."

* * *

"Who let you into my room anyways?" Nico asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Jason smiled cheekily at him.

"Aw, come on, Nico. I just want to hear how it went," the blond replied. He was currently sitting in a wheelchair that he had been allowed to use to visit Nico. The two would be out of commission for the next two or three days unfortunately. Nico hated being in recovery. He had such a hard time sitting still.

"Nothing happened."

Jason pouted. "I'm your best friend. You should be able to tell me stuff like this."

"There really isn't anything to tell," Nico said, rubbing his face. "He kissed me on the cheek. That was it."

Jason smiled at him. "It's improvement. Now, you just need to work on getting the real thing."

Nico sighed. "I don't know, Jason. He still has Will hanging around. What if I let myself get attached and he ends up choosing Will?"

"I don't think he would have kissed you at all if you had anything to worry about. He knows your fragile emotional state."

"I am not fragile or emotional!" Nico yelled, eyes glaring at Jason. Jason's smile just grew. A nurse poked her head in to see what the commotion was about, but Jason assured her it was nothing. Nico covered his face with his hands. He groaned loudly. "Now I feel like a girl."

"I don't think Percy would go for you if you were a girl." Nico rolled his eyes at Jason. "Now, all you need to do is get the real kiss. Then, you just need to mount Percy's dick and the two of you can-Hey, Percy!" Jason said as Percy entered the room. Percy looked between the two of them. Jason was smiling like he was up to no good, while Nico had covered his face to hide his embarrassment.

"What were you two talking about?" Percy asked, sitting in the chair next to Jason.

"Oh, just stuff. Nothing particularly interesting."

"How did training go?" Nico asked, clearly ready to change the subject.

"It was fine," Percy replied. "I'm going to go back tomorrow." Nico nodded. Jason stared between the two, clearly feeling the awkward tension between them. "Any update on either of you?"

"It seems we are stuck up here for the next two days," Jason mumbled. Percy laughed at their facial expressions. It was clear neither of them liked being out of the field like this.

They sat and talked for a while after that. Apollo eventually came and dragged Jason back to his room. Percy went down to get some food when a nurse brought some for Nico. When he returned he sat on the bed with Nico and the two ate their food. Percy leaned back against the wall as he watched Nico finish his food. Nico gave him an odd look when he noticed the boy staring at him. "What?" Nico mumbled around his food.

Percy smiled at him. "Nothing," Percy replied. He scooted closer to Nico and let his arm fall behind the boy's back. Nico arched an eyebrow at him, but didn't move away. Nico flipped on the TV and the two sat back to watch. Nico's head started to droop and it fell onto Percy's shoulder. Percy reached a hand up and brushed some of Nico's hair back. He wrapped the arm he had behind Nico tighter, pulling Nico closer to him. The smaller boy sighed contently as he rested his head on Percy's shoulder.

Percy pulled the cover over them and settled into the bed. Nico scooted closer to Percy and rested his hand across Percy's chest. Percy looked down at the boy. He didn't seem so threatening when he was sleeping, he was actually pretty cute. Not that Percy didn't think that Nico was cute when he was awake, there was just something innocent about Nico when he was sleeping. You would not peg him for the violent type by looking at him right now.

Percy raised two fingers and flipped them downwards. The lights shut off and Percy laid himself back on the pillow. He tightened his hold on Nico's waist. He watched Nico's face for a while longer, watching the boy's mouth hang open just a little. He leaned in and kissed the boy's forehead before letting his eyes close.

* * *

Percy woke up, not feeling the warmth beside him. He cracked his eyes open to find the bed empty. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Nico was perched in the windowsill. His foot swung in the air like a cat's tail as his eyes stared out the window. "You shouldn't be out of bed," Percy mumbled, climbing out of bed. Nico turned his head to look at him briefly before returning his gaze outside.

"I feel fine," Nico stated. Percy frowned at the back of Nico's head. He walked over to the boy and tried to wrap his arms around Nico, but the boy just brushed his hands away. Percy sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Why are you being so defensive?"

"I'm just trying to figure some things out right now."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Nico looked over at Percy, staring into his eyes. "I'm just...scared. I don't know what's going to happen in the future."

"You mean Rachel's vision?"

Nico narrowed his eyes. "You did get in my head."

Percy looked down, feeling ashamed. "I didn't mean to. It just happened."

"What else did you see?" Nico asked, turning his body towards Percy.

"A few things, small things. The big things were Rachel's prophecy, your parents being threatened, and the night you discovered your powers."

Nico sighed. "I don't really like to talk about that night. It brings back a lot of bad memories."

"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm glad I understand things better now, though. I understand why you hate Luke so much now. I understand why what he did-"

Nico raised his hand to silence Percy. "I said I really don't want to talk about it. Kronos is going to pay for what he did. That's all I have to say."

"I just don't want to lose you to yourself."

"Why do you care? I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that man suffers."

"What do you mean, why do I care? Is that not obvious by now? I'm trying to start something here, but you keep pushing me away," Percy said, reaching a hand out for Nico. The boy stared down at his hand for a moment, contemplating brushing it away, but he didn't. Percy's hand went up to brush Nico's cheek. The boy stared back into Percy's eyes with an unreadable emotion. "I kind of like you, Nico. I just wish we could move past this defensive stage."

"I'm not comfortable with this yet. I haven't been intimate with anyone since Luke." Nico squirmed on the windowsill. "I don't want to start anything with you until you can make up your mind."

"About what?" Percy asked, tilting his head.

"You have to make a choice between me and Will. I don't want to get attached to you, only to have you pick him."

"Oh." Percy frowned. "I understand." He brushed a strand of hair out of Nico's face. "I promise not to make a move on you until I make my mind up."

"Thank you." Nico gave him a weak smile. Nico returned to looking out the window while Percy watched him. Percy had wanted to kiss Nico, but that idea was thrown out the window. He sort of felt bad. He hadn't thought about Will at all since he returned to U.N.I.T. Maybe that was his answer? "You should get going. Chiron will be waiting on you soon, and you should eat breakfast before training."

Percy nodded. He wrapped his arms around Nico and gave the boy a hug. He pulled away and stared into Nico's eyes for a moment before leaving. Being here now felt like torture for Percy, but for a different reason than before.

_I'm trying to figure something out with Apollo and Jason. I'll talk more about that in probably chapter 13. Oh, I think I forgot to make a dirty comment about how Nico walked in on them last chapter. I could have totally done a threesome ;). Anyways, you got a little bit of an explanation of Nico's sanity loss. I probably should have gone back and possibly have edited that after writing 12. I did give Nico a slight revamp in his style of his powers. So, I might have changed some of that. Oh well, I'm too lazy to go back and fix any of it if I did change something. I probably didn't, but I thought I'd give a heads up. Don't you love Nico this chapter? :D Haha. I loved writing him and his false threats to Percy. Oh, and now that the chapter is out of the way. The thing taken out for the Will and Nico scene was Percy and Nico finally kissing. Sucks for you guys! A price had to be paid, and that had to be taken out to get Will and Nico in the same room again. Mwhaha. Anyways, how did you like the chapter? It was a change of pace from where we've been. I think this fic just has a dark cloud above it at all times. It borderlines dark a lot. In 12 I actually have to put in a real warning due to blood and gore. If you're guessing Nico goes apeshit crazy, you win a cookie. Anyways, I'm going to get back to work on something. My work is never done I swear. I'll see you guys later this week hopefully with the extra chapter. Remember 10 reviews. See ya._


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry for the late posting. Wanted it out earlier, but Bragi has been busy. But better late than never, right? Just sucks cause it's pushing close to my Children of Loss posting. Well...I would say Reining got the extra chapter for you guys, mainly cause she was the tenth reviewer, but then I got that landslide of reviews in after that. Dear god. Thirteen reviews! I may die...except I can't because Bragi won't let me. Also, I feel like crap because I've been spelling his name wrong for like three or four months now. He never corrected me either! I put an extra 'I' in , it's Bragi, not Braigi. So, go leave all hate mail at him through that correct name :D. Especially for those of you who read A Tale of Love and Thrones T.T. I'm sorry! For those of you that are probably lost, go read that story. I know it probably had a slow pace, and probably sucked in the beginning, but you should check it out now. It's up to my other stories standards. Though, I'm probably promoting it at a bad time given the chapter I just left off with. Anyways, back to the love. You guys are so awesome. I guess I've grown as an author, improved a lot. I was just so used to getting like three reviews a chapter. Then it grew to five. Now that I'm getting ten reviews on like every story it is just a phenomenal thing. I really want to say thank you guys for all that you have done. I guess I'm doing something right. I make the promise to try my best to always give you a good story that you won't be disappointed in (*cough* AToLaT included *cough*). __Awesome. Anyways, lets get to our shout outs._

_XxHushHushxX: No :(. I sorry. I hope you can be ok with the lack of water powers. I'm glad you liked the twist. As far as I know, mine is the only fic in the fandom like this. Don't worry. I'll probably have Grover and Annabeth pop back up as we go along. I'm not done with them. No! :D No it wasn't lol._

_Reining: Yes, they infected my story. They managed to get into this chapter too before I got them out. I'm excited about next chapter so I can put Nico's twisted nature in action. He's developing. He'll always be awkward :D. T.T I hope you don't hate this chapter then. It might feel weird too. Hopefully not, though. Nico is just conflicted. He wants Percy, but he's just so scared to get close to him. So, every now and then he will be sweet. Don't worry, he'll always be his usual Nico self, by this story's basis. Haha. I know, but I had others wanting it. It'll be happening soon, and then it'll be just uphill towards Percy and Nico...hopefully._

_Veerayne: I'm glad you loved it! I'm bribing Percy with cookies. Hopefully it will work. I know, but Nico wants Percy's commitment. A way of showing Nico that he will be dedicated to him, I guess. Hard to explain. Will is the OTP killer of this story._

_AzucenaXshadows: If you liked the last chapter, you will love this one! No, I actually was excited getting to write it. I tried to hint at certain places from five until I revealed it that Nico might have done something. Nico is always loveable. Hmm. I had considered it, but my beta told me it wasn't necessary. Something about published authors don't tend to do it, but I guess I should have since this is fanfiction._

_DarkLove12489: Yay! I'm glad you like it so much. Haha. I feel I bordered along X-men or something. I know Nico's personality bordered Dark Phoenix. Percy's powers are like Jean Grey. Perhaps that's it. I'm sorry, but I must keep to posting days. Tragic I know._

_RestlessHeart182: I guess you could say he'll be more vulnerable this chapter._

_Luckyducky: I know. He needs to just suck face with Percy. I'm glad you liked it._

_iPinneapplePants: Thank you!_

_Make-It-Now: I don't think I've ever left you out. They will soon. Soon!_

_HeyItsAmber: He is great! Lol, yet. Bunnies! I did as you asked. I must have them back. If not, I'll be forced to throw Nico off another cliff...Oh, and I escaped the bowls of hell._

_So, I feel like maybe half of those people probably are not happy with me right now...I'm sorry for 17? Anyways, I put up an image of what Nico looks like on my deviantArt account, XSonofHadesX. It shouldn't be hard to find. I think I have a file for Choke imagery under my deviations. I'm not even sure if I spelled that right. I don't care. So, go look at that. I thought it was awesome looking. Well, I guess that's all for now. As promised, here's the extra chapter._

_Disclaimer: I own, and regret, nothing_

_Warning: May require reading._

Chapter 11

The week flew by in the blink of an eye for Percy. He had stayed busy with his training with Chiron. The man had really been pushing him to his limits, but Percy thought it was starting to pay off. He visited Nico for the remaining two days the boy had been in recovery. Chiron had forced Nico into staying in his room after he was released. Even though he was healed, his ribs had been bruised, and the man wanted to make sure that it didn't get damaged further.

So, Percy hadn't seen Nico in those five days that Nico had moved back to his room. Percy couldn't deny that he missed the smaller boy. It was, however, a relief on him emotionally. Being around Nico had been intoxicating. Now that he was away from Nico, he could think more clearly. It still didn't change how he felt, though. He felt he needed to see Will again in order to make an impartial decision in this. It wouldn't be fair to the blonde if Percy just chose Nico because of him seeing Nico more.

Percy currently stood in the training room with Chiron. He would deflect various objects that the man chose to throw at him. Earlier, Chiron had pulled out a remote and told Percy to make a barrier and hold it. After Percy did as he was told, Chiron pressed a button on the remote, causing one of the guns in the corner of the room to fire at Percy. It kept up with a barrage of beams, blasting away at Percy's forcefield. It had taken a lot of energy out of him to do it, but he had managed to protect himself. It had been a weird feeling, like he was using a shield and it was being assaulted by an enemy.

The doors swung open, causing Percy attention to pull away from the objects being tossed at him. He wailed in pain when the wrench came in contact with his leg. He nearly toppled over, but was caught by a par of arms. He glanced down at the mass of dark hair that was holding him up. Nico looked up at him with his dark eyes. Percy wasn't sure what he was thinking, but just the look in his eyes made Percy want to go swimming in them.

"Ah, there you are, Nico," Chiron said, placing his next object back in the box. Percy made a face and rubbed his leg. Nico straightened him out and took a step back.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, still making a face.

"I asked Nico here to help me test out your progress."

"How?" Percy asked, a sudden sense of dread coming over him.

"Sparring match," Nico replied, going to stand next to Chiron.

"You want me to fight Nico?" Percy asked, his eyes going wide.

"Don't worry, Percy. I won't hurt you," Nico said softly, stepping closer to Percy and running a finger under his chin. Percy narrowed his eyes at the teasing sound in the boy's voice. "Wouldn't want to ruin your pretty face. What would I have to look at if I did that?" Percy pouted at him.

"Is that all you like about me?"

Nico shook his head, hair flapping with the movement. "Of course not, you also have a hot ass, which I may or may not have seen while on surveillance." Percy's cheeks went red.

Chiron cleared his throat. "If you two are done, we can begin," Chiron said. Nico nodded and walked a few feet away from where Percy stood. He turned back to face Percy. "Begin." Percy crouched, taking up a fighting stance. Nico, however, just stood there. It was sort of unnerving to Percy. He had seen Nico fight before. The boy was like an animal. He would study your movements and then use his speed to his advantage.

Percy grunted and reached out with his mind for the table that stood against the wall. He flung it as hard as he could at the dark boy. Nico's eyes seemed unfocused. They flickered up to Percy and Nico smiled at him. His eyes clouded over with shadows at the very moment the table made contact with him. It flew through the air, crashing to the ground behind the spot Nico once stood. Percy blinked. Shadow-like smoke evaporated from where the spot Nico had stood. Percy spun around several times, trying to locate the boy. "Got to be quicker than that," Nico whispered in his ear. Percy spun around and punched the air. He let out a low growl. Nico wasn't even taking him seriously.

Percy decided it was time to step it up. He spread his arms and let loose a concussive blast all around the room. Nico fell back into sight a few feet away, sliding along the floor. He stood up and charged at Percy, who was ready for him.

Nico thrust his hand up from the ground, sending a mass of shadows into Percy, who wasted no time in making a barrier. He dropped the barrier and raised his arms to defend as Nico attempted a kick to his chest. His fist swung out, trying to catch Nico, but the boy ducked and rose up with a counterblow. The attack caught Percy in the stomach, making Percy stumble. He thrust his fist out, sending a wave to knock Nico back.

Nico vanished and reappeared back on his feet. The boy was charging at Percy once again. Percy sent out another concussive shot, but Nico vaulted over it. Percy jumped back as the boy came crashing down. A cracking sound rang out in the room. A wave of darkness shot out from the spot Nico landed and sent Percy flying backwards.

Nico stood back up and waited for Percy to make a move. Percy pushed himself off the ground, wiping his forehead. He was starting to get tired, and his body had become covered in sweat. He looked Nico over. The boy was panting and covered in sweat like Percy was. Nico's hair had also begun to cling to his head.

Percy gritted his teeth and flung the box Chiron had been using, along with everything in it, at Nico. Nico attempted to vanish, but Percy reached out with telekinesis and yanked the smaller boy towards him. Nico gasped as he was pulled from his shadow traveling. Percy grabbed him and the two tumbled to the ground. Nico kicked out, knocking Percy off of him. He summoned a shadow dagger and swiped at Percy with it. Percy's eyes widened as he frantically began to dodge the blade.

He tried knocking it out of Nico's hand with his powers, but it didn't seem to affect the blade. Percy caught Nico's arm as the boy made another slash at him. He flipped Nico over his head, and sent him to the ground. Nico grabbed Percy's arm with his other hand, sending shadows crawling up Percy's arm. Percy let go, trying to rid himself of the dark matter.

Nico used Percy's change of focus to get himself into a crouch position. He swiped his leg across Percy's, knocking them out from under him. Percy yelped as he tumbled backwards onto the ground. The shadows vanished from his skin when he hit the floor. He groaned and looked up at a smirking Nico. He let a pout form on his lips. Nico raised the blade over Percy and the green eyed boy started to crawl backwards. Nico swiped it across his chest and the blade evaporated back into thin air. "Relax, I wouldn't use a real weapon on you," Nico said, holding his hand out for Percy.

Percy sighed and used Nico's hand to bring himself to his feet. "You could have said so earlier," Percy said, rubbing his back.

"Yea, but it was more fun this way." Nico walked a circle around Percy and came to stand on Percy's right side.

Chiron clapped. "Not bad, Percy. Don't be discouraged. Nico is my best agent, and I have a hunch that you will keep improving," Chiron stated.

Percy nodded his head. He still felt defeated, even if Nico did have more experience. He felt like he should be the one with the upper hand. He was drawn out of his thoughts by a kiss on his cheek. Percy blinked, refocusing on the room. Chiron had left, as he was no longer standing in front of Percy. How long had he been out of it?

He turned his head to look at Nico, who was still standing at his side. "You really can zone out, can't you?" Nico said jokingly.

Percy chuckled half-heartedly. "Yea. Where did Chiron go?"

"He had to go take care of something." Percy rubbed his cheek where Nico had just kissed him, a small smile spreading across his lips. "Don't let it go to your head."

"What, the losing or the kiss?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "The kiss. I totally kicked your ass."

"You mean my hot ass?"

"Yes, that one," Nico said, walking towards the door. Percy jogged to fall into step with him.

"So, is that all you like about me? The physical stuff."

Nico hit the button on the elevator and the two entered it. Nico hit the button to the cafeteria and the two began to ascend. "Do you really think I would risk my life if I was just interested in you physically?"

Percy frowned. "I don't want you risking your life for me at all. I don't want you getting yourself killed because of me. You already got hurt once trying to protect me." Nico grunted his response. "So, what happens now? I mean, my training is going pretty well. So, does that mean I'll get to go into the field? What is the next course of action anyways?"

"You won't be going anywhere until you can figure out how to work your telepathy. We can't take risks out there."

"What about you? Aren't you a risk with your dark sanity thing?" Nico fixed Percy with a glare. "I-I didn't mean it like that, Nico." Nico crossed his arms over his chest and exited the elevator when it opened. Percy groaned and chased after him. "Please don't be mad at me. I really didn't mean it like that."

"How did you mean it then?" Nico asked, coming to a stop in front of the cafeteria doors.

"I just don't see how it's fair that I can't go into the field yet."

"I can handle myself, Percy. I have myself under control. I earned Chiron's trust. What have you done, besides running off scared?"

Percy bit his lip. He tried to reach out for Nico, but the boy moved away. "Nico, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me. I'm just frustrated." Nico didn't say anything, just staring blankly at Percy. "I'm really sorry, Nico. I really didn't mean it to sound like that. I don't see you as a monster."

"Yes, you do. I saw the way you looked at me when I was pushing myself. You were afraid of me. Why would you even want to be with me, if you're afraid of me?"

"Because, I trust you not to hurt me," Percy said, reaching out to touch Nico's arm.

"And if I slip?"

"Then I'll find a way to bring you back," Percy said with a smile. Nico glanced off to the side. Percy noticed a faint blush on his cheeks.

"What if I hurt you?"

Percy stepped closer to Nico. "You won't hurt me."

"You can't know that, Percy."

"I'm giving you my trust, to show you I really am sorry. I don't think you're a monster. I wouldn't be interested in you if I did." Nico stared down at the floor for a while. Someone exited the cafeteria, snapping the two out of their small bubble. Percy cleared his throat and took a step back. "Shall we?" he asked, motioning for the cafeteria. Nico nodded and the two went inside.

They took a seat at a table with Jason, Apollo, and Leo. Jason grinned at the two of them as they sat down next to each other, earning him a glare from Nico. "Well, don't you two look cozy," Jason said. Percy frowned at Jason when Nico scooted away from him. "Sorry." Percy let his chin drop onto his palm and picked at his food.

"Trouble in paradise?" Apollo mused, taking a drink.

"That would imply that we are together, which we are not," said Nico coldly. Percy sighed and tried to focus on eating his food. Would this get any easier if he chose Nico over Will? He wanted to reach over and try to grab the boy's hand, but he had to let Nico pace their intimacy until he made his mind up.

"So, how was training today, Percy?" Jason asked, trying to clear the air.

"It went well. I had a sparring match with Nico, but he beat me," Percy replied, watching Nico out of the corner of his eye. He frowned when Nico wouldn't look at him. He looked back at Jason, who was giving him a sympathetic look. He mouthed 'hang in there' to Percy.

"Well, we have some news," Leo said, finally speaking up. Percy and Nico looked up at him. "We learned about some Consortium activity that's going to be taking place tomorrow night, Chiron wants it interrupted."

"Any other details?" Nico asked.

"Chiron will lay it all out at the briefing tomorrow." Percy quietly poked at his food. He wanted to go on the mission, but he doubted that Chiron would include him. Still, maybe he could find out about the mission another way, then all he would have to do is sneak out. If he could prove himself, maybe Chiron would let him help them.

* * *

"You want to leave?" Chiron asked, eyeing Percy from his desk.

"Just for a few hours tomorrow. I think I may know a way to figure out my telepathy," Percy explained. It wasn't a lie exactly, he wanted to talk to his parents and see if they knew anything about telepathy.

"What are you going to do?"

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "I'd like to keep it my secret, if you don't mind. It's nothing personal, but just like you want to keep your business a secret from others, so does this other source of information."

Chiron frowned at Percy and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, but if you wish to be affiliated with this organization, you can't keep secrets from me."

"No disrespect, sir, but don't you need me? If you don't let me help eventually, how will I be making a difference?"

Chiron chuckled lightly. "You got me there, Percy. Very well, I'll allow you a few hours leave tomorrow afternoon. You'll have to find your own way, I'm afraid, as I'll be having Nico assist me with some business we need to take care of." Percy nodded and walked out the door.

He would take the time to his advantage. He still needed to see Will, in hopes of making a decision. Hopefully his parents could be of some help in shedding some light on his telepathy. If they couldn't, he figured he was screwed. He didn't want to be on his own, learning about this power. It was dangerous, Percy acknowledged that. This was the power everyone wanted him for. The power to control the minds of anyone around him.

Percy rode the elevator down to the living quarters, stepping out into the hall once he had arrived. He headed towards his room, but stopped when he caught sight of Nico. He silently followed the boy down the hallways, until the dark haired boy stopped at a door that Percy guessed was his room. "How the tables have turned. Now you're following me," Nico stated, turning his head to look at Percy.

Percy walked up to Nico and leaned against the wall. "I was just curious about where your room was."

"You couldn't ask me?"

"Well, I didn't know if you would cooperate in that," Percy said with a smile. Nico rolled his eyes and opened his door. Percy frowned, not knowing if he was supposed to go inside.

"You can come in," Nico said, apparently reading his mind. Percy chuckled to himself at the phrase. Percy looked around Nico's room. It was lowly lit, allowing for plenty of darkness if Nico needed it. There was a large black bed to Percy's right. Nico walked up to where the window was. He pushed a small button next to it, changing the illusion from day to night. A large TV was on the wall opposite the bed. Underneath it were shelves full of movies and games. A computer screen, like the one in Jason and Apollo's room, was on the wall next to Nico's bed. A keyboard lay on the bed. Percy figured it allowed Nico to lay on his bed while he browsed the internet. Percy walked up to Nico's bookshelf, looking over the boy's reading material. It was a lot of dark writings, things like Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King. Percy spotted a copy of _On the Origin of Species _by Charles Darwin. "Find anything interesting?"

Percy jumped at the sound of Nico's voice behind him. He spun around to find the smaller boy eyeing him in amusement. "Just seeing what kind of things you are into." He saw Nico's eyes flicker down to his lips for only a second before returning to Percy's eyes. Percy couldn't help smiling. "Something you want there, Nico?" Percy asked teasingly.

Nico rolled his eyes and walked over to his bed, sitting down to take off his shoes. "Don't hold your breath. I can control my hormones, unlike some people."

Percy mocked offended. "Ouch. I've been behaving myself, thank you very much." Nico's eyes flickered back up to Percy, Percy smiled at the look of amusement in them. "If you can control your hormones, why were you watching me naked?"

Nico's cheeks lit up. "It's not my fault you have no shame walking around your room naked."

"Yes, when I think I'm alone." Percy was silent for a moment. He let a hand fall down to cover up his crotch, suddenly having a sense of insecurity. "You've seen me completely naked."

"Wow, you just caught on to the fact that your backside isn't the only thing I saw."

"Did you, ever, you know, see me..." Percy trailed off, not wanting to finish the statement.

"Masturbating?" Nico chuckled, standing up and moving to stand right in front of Percy. He wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry, Percy, it was a very hot show." Percy started choking, his cheeks flaming red.

"Dear god, Nico. I can't believe you watched that!"

Nico fell back onto his bed, placing his leg on top of his knee. "Would it make you feel better if you got to watch me?" Nico said, letting his hand play teasingly with the zipper of his jeans.

"No!" Percy cried, rushing to stop Nico from lowering the zipper.

"Relax, Percy. I wasn't going to show you, even if you asked." He tugged Percy down onto the bed. "You're just fun to tease."

Percy laid his head down on Nico's pillow, watching the other boy. "I'm glad I give you so much amusement." Nico's hand slipped down and he started playing with Percy's hair. "Can I ask something?" Nico nodded. "So, if I were to choose you, would things be different between us?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, would you be cold and defensive? It kind of hurts when you revert back to being like that, and I just wanted to know if that's how it would be between us if we were together."

Nico looked down into Percy's eyes. "No," he whispered, letting his head fall down onto the pillow beside Percy. "I'm just trying to protect myself, Percy. I don't want to get attached and see you end up with Will. Now, I can't guarantee that I won't be a smartass, but I won't act like I did back in the cafeteria."

They stared at each other for a moment in comfortable silence, Percy enjoying his hair being played with. "Can I kiss you?" Percy decided to ask.

Nico pursed his lips. "Not yet. You're getting there, though." Percy pouted. Nico smiled at him. "I'll let you kiss my cheek." Percy perked up. He leaned in and placed a quick kiss to the pale boy's pink cheeks. Percy slid a hand across the sheets to touch Nico's free hand. He interlocked their fingers, holding his breath to see if the other boy would pull away. He exhaled in relief when Nico didn't pull away, he felt Nico give his hand a squeeze.

* * *

Percy groaned, bringing a hand up to rub his closed eyes. He felt movement next to him, a source of warmth pushing closer to him. He blinked his eyes open to see what was going on. The first thing he realized was that he was still in Nico's room. The dim lights were still on, though. He sat up and looked over at Nico's clock, which said it was a little after midnight. He must have fallen asleep. He tilted his head down to find the source of warmth, Nico lay with his back against Percy, Percy's arm was draped over him. Nico had a firm grip on his hand, keeping Percy trapped.

He watched Nico sleep for a moment, enjoying the sight of the smaller boy's peaceful face. He had pressed himself firmly up against Percy's front, allowing for no room between them. Percy laid back down, and squeezed Nico's hand. He should probably wake Nico up so he could go, he didn't think it would be right for him to sleep over in Nico's room just yet.

"Nico," Percy whispered into his ear. Nico mumbled something in his sleep, but didn't stir. He tugged on his arm and tried again. "Nico." The boy in question groaned and rolled over to face Percy.

"What?" he mumbled, rubbing his eye.

"I just wanted to wake you up so I could leave."

"Oh," Nico said, sounding sad. "Alright."

They sat up and climbed off the bed. Nico walked Percy to the door, where they stood awkwardly for a moment. "I'll see you in the morning." Nico nodded. Percy gave him an awkward wave and opened the door, Nico shut it behind him. Percy really needed to make up his mind. He wouldn't have to torture himself like this if he would just make a decision.

Maybe Nico was the better option. While Will was sweet and everything, Nico was trying to make an actual connection with Percy. He hadn't jumped into bed with Percy the way that Will had when they first met. Yet, he still had to admit he had feelings for Will. Even if they had had sex when they first met, that didn't mean it had a negative effect on them having a relationship.

Nico was the challenge, though. He could have Will, he knew that. Will made no secret that he would happily be with Percy in a heartbeat, but Nico was different. Percy felt like he actually had to work to be with the boy. It was an exciting challenge for Percy. There was one problem, though. Percy didn't know where he would end up when all of this was over.

Would he stay here with U.N.I.T. or would he go help his parents? Chiron had offered him a spot, and his parents hadn't said anything about Percy working with them. If he was here, it would be easy to be with Nico, but hard to be with Will. If he worked for his parents, he would be away from Nico, making it easier if he chose Will. He had a lot to figure out in terms of what he wanted.

_I just realized how short this chapter was. Damn. Oh well, it's an extra chapter lol. Oh, and like most of the story, Percy is still rising to power. The entire premise of Choke is about Percy becoming an incredibly strong 'Special'. You'll have to wait until the sequel to see an entire fic of him being badass. Percy will become the strongest of all of them, it just is going to take development. I'm hoping I did an ok job on the sparring scene. If not it'll have to be taken out behind the shed and be shot. I enjoyed Nico's take on no shame when discussing sexual stuff with Percy. Again, I apologize for the shortness. Usually Choke is longer than this. Ugh. I just ran out of stuff to cover before the big event the next day. Which will be next chapter :D. Bragi was not pleased with it, I on the other hand loved it. It'll be staying as is, and hopefully you all enjoy the glimpse of Nico's true power. Anyways, I'll see you as normal on Sunday with that chapter. So, let me know what you think of this god awful short chapter. It got too infected by fluff bunny. Meh. Anyways, I'm out._


	12. Chapter 12

_We are back once again. I'm glad to see that my extra chapter didn't cost me reviews. I'm also glad you liked the scene with Percy and Nico at the end. And the sparring one. Let it be known that this is the estimated halfway point. I believe the chapter has about 10-13 more chapters to go. Hopefully. Now I know you've all been excited about this chapter. It's the chapter I mentioned like two chapters ago. You've all been excited to see it. Hopefully it won't disappoint. I'm hoping I didn't go overboard, but knowing me I did. Let me know how much you hate it T.T. Or love it. Whichever. Alright, on to shout outs._

_Veerayne: I'm glad you loved it, as always. I know. I just want to hug him. Percy can hug him, though. Percy has to try and take it all slow. He's gotta be smooth to win Nico's heart. Oh...you didn't read the latest chapter of Children of Loss, did you? Fluff bunny...had an accident. Hmm...I don't think you'll find any this chapter. Well...there is Will this chapter, but not with Nico. I'm glad you liked Nico's sexual side._

_Reining: Do you love me again? Thank you. I fell in love with it instantly. It was perfect for him. Yes. Now Percy just needs to become stronger. Obviously he should be with Nico. You get more on Percy's thoughts on that this chapter. He's...something alright._

_Demon inside the Angel: Stop letting me spoil things before you read it lol. It's like Christmas came early, in the form of an extra chapter of Choke. Yes, I didn't like the idea of Percy just finding out what he was and being a total badass. He can't be that until close to the end. I feel I'd run out of stuff to do at some point. I mean, I could have Percy and Nico playing an action packed game of chess._

_Luckyducky: Thank you! Haha. Well you go both, and that's pretty awesome. Fluff bunny was bitten by zombie bunny...I had to put them both down...or I snapped its neck. Who's to say what happened?_

_RestlessHeart182: Thank you. I will! I shall never let you down! Unless I do...then I guess I might._

_HeyItsAmber: ...Lol. You do realize I got all four of your reviews from your crazed need to post on chapter 18, right? It's ok. I still love you. I'm assuming you meant, 'It isn't that good'. Though, I'm not sure what you were referring to. Choke? The chapter? The Hunger Games fic I was talking about?_

_iPineapplePants: Haha. I'm sorry. I only did it because you all earned it with all the reviews. And I don't have 15 chapters extra of this :P. I only just finished 13 the other day. Now I have to stalk your profile to make it fair. We can be like neighbors that watch each other with binoculars._

_emtherebel: Thank you! Bragi helps me a lot. By help I mean slaps me._

_Ms. Wharton: Oh god, you haven't read my other fic that has smut in it, have you? Let it be known that Choke is now a G-rated story! Now I'll just feel awkward having a teacher/counselor read my smut. I must make it family friendly. Dammit...I mean darn it. Haha. Why do I suck at my posting schedule? Was it because I had the last chapter posted past the deadline? I blame Bragi for that one...unless he sees this, then I don't. Thank you! Bragi won't let me learn to be a publishable writer, though. I blame Twilight for everything. I find it works out well. I also blame Justin Bieber...I don't have an apology for that one if someone likes him._

_DarkLove: Thank you! I had my doubts about it. I enjoyed Nico's openness as well. They are cute together. Well, it's finally here._

_Make-It-Now: Shut up. Nope Told you it stopped bothering me. I never liked Will...except in the physical sense. He is sexy._

_Oh, and yes I was joking about making this a G-rated fic. I think Demon might kill me if I don't have at least one smut scene. Well, actually I hadn't planned on one. I just figured I'd decide when the time came. I guess I could leave it up to you guys to decide. Alright, I want to do a shout out for a story. The last chapter made me go insane, though. God. I didn't realize what I put you people through sometimes until I read this story. The story is, The Blackness 2: Shady by Fence Surfin. If you read the latest chapter, you already know what I'm talking about. Oh my god. I promise I'll try harder not to torture you...much... Oh that reminds me. I want to dedicate this chapter to all of you that read A Tale of Love and Thrones. I just want to say two things. Kinzie and your welcome._

_The sequel has been flushed out a little more, for those of you that want to know. Bragi and I discussed some stuff with Nico and I feel good about how it's shaping. I did change the story art again. I like the new one better. If you are wondering, it is Nico. You can go to my deviantART, XSonofHadesX, and get a better look at it, if you want. Blah. Anyways. Let's get on with the chapter._

_Warning: There may be a bad one liner on the horizon._

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI Miami...you'll find out at the end._

Chapter 12

"And where is this warehouse again?" Percy asked. He was currently perched on Nico's bed as the dark haired boy finished changing shirts. Nico had his back to Percy, but that didn't stop Percy from raking his eyes across Nico's pale skin. Nico had just gotten out of the meeting to discuss where the Consortium was going to be tonight, and Percy wanted to tag along.

Nico looked at Percy in the mirror. "Nice try, Percy, but you aren't going," Nico replied.

Percy pouted. "Why not? I'm capable of holding my own."

"Yes, but you are far too important to risk."

"You make me sound like I'm made of glass." Percy stood up and walked over to stand beside Nico. "Besides, you already risked your life for me. Doesn't that put us in the clear?"

"We're not sure, Percy. Chiron just feels it would be best if you remained here."

Percy attempted giving Nico puppy-dog eyes. "Can't you vouch for me, or something? Please?"

Nico rolled his eyes and tied his shoes. "Nice try, but your guilt trip will not work on me."

"Any other way I can persuade you?" Percy asked with a grin.

Nico placed a hand on Percy's chest and pushed him back gently. "Not happening, Percy. We've been over this."

"Sorry," Percy mumbled. "I'm going to talk to Will while I'm out today."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Percy nodded. "Yea, I've got stuff to talk about with him."

"Do you now?" Nico said with a smile. He let his hand trail across Percy's torso as he walked by the taller boy.

"I never said what it was about, cocky."

Nico shrugged, picking up a bluetooth headpiece and attaching it to his ear. "I feel pretty confident."

"Then why can't I go ahead and get a kiss if you feel you know my decision?"

"I enjoy torturing you," Nico replied with a smile. "Now then, I'm going to go kick some ass, and you are going to go talk to whoever it is you are going to see about your telepathy." Nico walked over to his door and gestured for Percy to go. Percy frowned, but headed out the door. Nico shut the door behind him. Percy assumed he was just going to shadow travel to his destination. Percy headed down the hall to his room to grab a few things before he left.

After he was done, Percy boarded the elevator and hit the lobby floor. When it stopped he ran into Leo, who looked to be in a rush. "Hey, Leo. What's up?" Percy asked.

Leo looked up in surprise at Percy. "Oh, h-hey, Percy," Leo replied, giving Percy a nervous wave.

Percy grabbed Leo's arm as the smaller boy boarded the elevator. "You couldn't tell me where that mission is going to be today, could you Leo?"

Leo shook his head. "No, I've been told to keep that private from you."

Percy frowned. "But I just want to help."

"The others got it under control, Perce, don't worry about it."

"What if something goes wrong?"

Leo shrugged. "We haven't had any major problems yet. Besides, it's a pretty large team going out there. I think they can handle whatever Kronos throws at them."

Percy sighed and let go of Leo's arm. "Alright, well if they need me, you know how to reach me." Leo nodded and the elevator closed. Percy kicked the ground in frustration before heading towards the exit.

* * *

Percy jumped out of the taxi and handed the driver some cash. He looked up at the building before heading up the stairs. Walking inside, he traveled up the staircase until he came to his destination. He knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

He heard some shuffling around before the door opened and revealed Will. "Hey, Percy," Will said with a confused look on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"If you don't want to see me, I could just leave," Percy said playfully.

"No no, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting you." Will stepped aside to allow Percy entrance into his apartment. Percy walked in and took a seat on the couch. Will came over and sat next to him.

"So, what's up?"

"Just thought I'd come and spend some time with you."

Will smiled and scooted closer to Percy. "Oh, well then, I'm glad you stopped by."

Percy and Will sat in silence for a moment. It made Percy feel slightly awkward, it was definitely different between them now. Percy really wasn't sure what to talk about. He figured he should have a lot to talk about with the blond, but nothing came to mind.

Will cleared his throat. "So, are you doing better? All better and out of the hospital?"

Percy nodded. "Yea."

Will cocked his head to the side. "So, why haven't you moved back into your apartment?"

"Oh, well, my parents wanted me to stay with them for a little while to make sure I was ok."

"Oh, when do you think you'll be back at the apartment?"

Percy shrugged. "I'm not really sure."

"And Nico?" Will asked bluntly.

Percy sighed. "You really don't like him, do you?"

"Should I? I was hoping I could have something with you, Percy, but now that he's come along, I feel like I've lost all chance at us being a couple." Percy didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. "I take it you're still seeing him?"

Percy nodded slowly. "Yea," he whispered.

"Do you like him?" Percy nodded again. Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just answer me this, do I still have a chance?"

"I-I don't know. I'm just trying to do what's best for me." Will's lips thinned. "I don't mean that to sound bad. Life's just been confusing lately. I think Nico just understands me a lot better than most people."

"Because you haven't really talked to any of us lately, Percy. Maybe if you told us what's going on, we could understand too."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

Will sighed and stood up. "So, what exactly did you come over here for?"

"I just wanted to see you."

Will locked gazes with Percy. "Why?"

"I'm still trying to figure out who I should choose."

Will ran a hand through his hair. "Percy Jackson, you are the most frustrating person I've ever met. I'm not very happy with you, but at the same time I just want to jump in your lap and kiss you."

Percy smiled meekly up at him. "Sorry."

Will shook his head. "It's not your fault you're so damn sexy." Will moved closer to Percy and leaned down to stare into Percy's eyes. "Now then, what can I do to help you make up your mind?"

Percy cleared his throat and scooted back against the couch. Will smiled and climbed into Percy's lap. Percy's mind drifted off as Will's hands started feeling Percy's chest. Was this all his relationship with Will was? Nico hadn't tried to get in his pants yet. Nico seemed more concerned with knowing Percy on an emotional level than in the biblical sense.

In the past, this gesture from Will probably wouldn't have even bothered Percy, but now it was all he could think about. Nico was many things. He was angry, standoffish, sarcastic, and curt. But, he was also loyal, faithful, and was genuinely interested in getting to know Percy. The fact that he was always just out of Percy's reach, barely tangible, but still there, made Percy want to grab hold of him all the more. Percy grabbed Will's hands as they grabbed for Percy's belt. "I think we should stop," Percy whispered.

"Why?" Will asked.

"I'm just trying to figure this all out, and I don't want to screw anything up with either of you while I try and make up my mind."

Will sighed and rolled off of Percy. "You've changed. Used to be you would never bat an eye at something like this, but now you seem almost opposed to sex."

"It's not that I'm opposed to sex, I'm just hesitant."

"Because of Nico?"

Percy nodded. "He got hurt pretty bad with his last boyfriend. I don't want to cause him further pain." Percy cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, I think I need to get going."

Will pouted. "Already? Can't you stay for a little longer?"

Percy shook his head, pulling out his phone to check the time. "I'm sort of pressed for time. I need to go back and see the doctor for a checkup in a few hours."

Will stood up and walked Percy to the door. "Well, come back and see me when you can."

"I will." Will leaned in and placed a small kiss to Percy's cheek. "I'll see you later."

* * *

Poseidon and Sally looked up at Percy as he closed the door behind him. "Percy? What are you doing here?" Poseidon asked. "I thought you were going back to U.N.I.T. to train?"

"Well, there's sort of a problem. They can teach me telekinesis, but they can't help me with telepathy," Percy replied. "You guys wouldn't have any knowledge on it, would you?"

Poseidon scratched his head. "Well, we have some theories on it, but nothing concrete yet. I suppose we could give you what we know, and see if that helps." Poseidon stood up and grabbed his keys. "We'll head over to the lab and talk to Athena."

"Who's Athena?" Percy asked, cocking his head to the side. Poseidon just grinned at him. He patted Percy's shoulder as he walked past his son, walking out the door. Sally and Percy followed after him, making their way down to Poseidon's car. Jumping into the back seat, Percy sat patiently as his father drove them to their destination.

Upon exiting the car, Percy's eyes instantly fell on a large, square, white building. His parents made their way up the steps, not even waiting for Percy to break out of his fascinated trance. Shaking his head, Percy jogged up the steps after his parents.

Poseidon opened a door, allowing them entrance. A security guard sat behind a desk, reading a newspaper. He looked up as Poseidon, Sally, and Percy approached. Poseidon waved a badge in front of the man, receiving a nod in return. Poseidon headed over to an elevator at the back of the lobby, and they all boarded. Poseidon hit the sub-basement floor, and they began to descend.

The doors slid open to reveal a large white room with computers scattered around the room. Books were stacked on tables and shelves. A large screen sat on the left wall above a large control panel. A few feet away from that was a metal pedestal. Percy walked forward, but was knocked backwards by a forcefield that suddenly appeared in front of him. "Halt, intruder!" a voice rang through the air.

"Relax, Athena, he's with us," Sally said.

The pedestal lit up and a hologram of a woman appeared on top of it. "My apologizes," the hologram replied.

"Who-" Percy began, but Sally interrupted him.

"Her name is Athena, she's the artificial intelligence program we have set up here."

Percy walked over to the pedestal and inspected the holographic woman. He waved a hand through her, breaking her imager momentarily. "Stop that!" Athena yelled.

"Uh...sorry," Percy said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over at his parents. "You created her?"

"Yes we did," Poseidon responded. "It took us almost ten years, but she's one of our best pieces of work."

"Thank you, sir," Athena said. Percy continued to stare at her. It was amazing, seeing something like this actually existed.

"What does she do?" Percy asked.

"I am capable of a wide variety of things. One of my many functions is guarding this facility from those of...your kind."

"Athena," Sally said exasperatedly.

"I meant no offense by it."

"So, you keep the people from the organizations from breaking in here?" Percy asked, running his finger along the pedestal.

"That I do. No one gets passed my defenses."

"What defenses?"

"Athena runs the security system of the building. She has a small army of A.I. robots at her command," Poseidon said, standing next to Percy. "She can run a variety of defense maneuvers in order to keep out unwanted guests."

"That's cool," Percy said, poking at Athena again, earning him a scowl. "What else does she do?"

"She has a vast archive on the powers that have been identified."

"And she has stuff on telepathy?"

The large screen lit up, displaying a large amount of data. "I have several volumes and thirty working theories regarding the power of telepathy," Athena answered. A virtual screen appeared at chest level in front of the screen. Percy walked up to it and slid his fingers across the virtual screen. The images on the monitor began sliding by on the screen.

"We'll let you look through this for a while. Athena will help you sort through the material, if you want," Sally said, rubbing Percy's back. Percy's parents walked back to the elevator, leaving him alone with Athena.

"Can you sort this by prioritizing the most relevant data?" Percy asked, looking over at the hologram. Athena held her hand out to the monitor and the data started flying around, organizing itself at Percy's request.

Athena's pedestal brightened and her hologram grew in size. "I would be glad to summarize it for you, if you wish," the A.I. said. Percy nodded, stepping away from the virtual keyboard. "The human consciousness is, essentially, a specific pattern of electrical impulses contained within the organic computer of the human mind."

"So I'm a computer?"

"Essentially. The human mind retains memories, identity, thoughts, sensations, and all other mental ideologies as electricity in the form of neuronal connections."

Percy nodded. "Ok, I see."

"My strongest theory regarding telepathy is that the mind of a telepath is able to transmit electrical signals instead of simply retaining them."

"You mean pushing thoughts?"

Athena nodded. "Push thoughts upon others, or sort through the files of one's mind to pull a memory from them. There is precedence for this in the existence of humans who are able to interact with technology."

"You mean the hackers in U.N.I.T.?"

"Yes, they are dangerous to most forms of electronics and computers."

"But not you?"

Athena shook her head. "No, I was created to be vastly superior to all other technology. If one were to attempt to hack into my systems, I could reroute the virus back to its source."

"Making them corrupt themselves." Athena nodded. "That's pretty cool."

"Although techopaths, as they are usually referred to, are unable to interact with organic computers and minds because of the specificity and difference in function between a silicon based computer and an organic computer, such restrictions should not, theoretically, apply to a telepath."

"So, I'm going to be able to read a human's mind as well as a computer's?"

"Eventually, yes. However, the degree to which you will be able to interact with a computer is up for debate."

Percy glanced between the monitor and Athena, letting his mind wrap around this new data. Then his mind thought of something. "So, you wouldn't be able to find a particular person for me could you?"

* * *

Percy crouched behind a dumpster, watching the deserted looking warehouse. Athena had told him that this was where Nico was, but it didn't look like anything was happening. The sun was beginning to set. They should have been here by now.

Percy hid himself when car lights appeared in the parking lot. A large black van had come to a stop near the entrance of the building. Percy peaked out when he heard the van doors open. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted Luke getting out first. Behind him were five others, but Percy had trouble making them out.

Luke led them inside, shutting the large warehouse door behind him. Percy inched out from behind the dumpster, heading for the building. Staying as low to the ground as possible, Percy crept closer and closer to a small door to the side of the building.

He slowly slid the door open, sliding inside as quietly as possible. He heard hushed voices from somewhere in the building, but decided he should find a good place to watch things from. Looking to his left, he spotted a metal staircase. He walked up it as slowly as possible, flinching when the stairs creaked beneath him.

Once at the top, Percy stuck low to the ground. He crept behind a wall of barrels and peered down at the ground below. Luke stood in the middle of the room with a tall black man. Percy couldn't really make out what they were saying, due to their hushed voices. Percy glanced around the room for any sign of U.N.I.T., but he found none.

Luke snapped his fingers and a tall blonde girl stepped forward with a briefcase. Luke held it up to the man, who opened it up, revealing some small vials of some substance. The man was about to touch one of the vials when a bolt of lightning shattered them. Luke growled and threw the briefcase away. The man ran off, leaving Luke and his men alone.

Nico appeared before Luke, looking very unhappy. The dark shadows had already encompassed his eyes. "I was wondering if you were going to show up, _love_," Luke spat with venom.

"Don't call me that, bastard," Nico growled. Four other figures came out to join Nico. Percy could make out the figures of Jason and Apollo, but the other two he didn't recognize. "Brought more friends, did you? Afraid you couldn't take me by yourself?"

Luke scoffed. "You're one to talk, you brought friends as well. I mean, if you want them to watch as I have my way with you..."

"Fuck off!" Nico growled, shadows flickering to life around him.

"Now now, no need for that," a blonde girl by Luke said. She smiled sweetly at Nico, while resting her head on Luke's shoulder.

"Fuck off, Kinzie," Nico said, raising a hand full of shadows in her direction.

"Aw, does the demon boy not want to play?" Kinzie asked mockingly.

"Don't call me that!" The building creaked as the shadows around the roof were pulled closer. Luke and his group took battle stances.

"This doesn't seem very even," Apollo spoke.

"I always like a challenge," a tall girl next to Apollo said. She was quite tall, towering over most of the boys in the room. She was also one of the most muscular people in the room, second to the Asian boy on her left. Her stringy, long brown hair was braided, lying down her back. She had angry brown eyes, that reminded Percy of an angry bull about to charge.

"That makes two of us, Clarisse," the Asian boy next to her said. The boy was large and stocky, built like a bear. A notable feature was his face, for it reminded Percy of a child. He had short black hair, and sharp brown eyes.

"How cute, they think they stand a chance," Ethan said.

Luke smirked. "He's right, you don't stand a chance. You're outnumbered. I'll tell you what, if you walk away right now, we'll let you live," the blonde said.

A tall man stepped closer to Luke. He had platinum blond hair, which he parted to the side. He had stormy black eyes and a slightly crooked nose. "The boss won't like us letting them walk away," he said to Luke.

"Shut up, Aeolus," Luke barked back. The man flinched and took a step back.

"Can't we play with them a little bit?" A young woman with dark brown hair said. She had emerald green eyes which seemed to flicker like fire. Her long brown hair was braided over one shoulder with tiny golden threads. She had long black painted nails, and that reminded Percy of a witch.

"Yes, let us _play _with them for a while," a shorter girl next to the previous girl said. She had similar green eyes, but hers screamed of death. She was a beautiful thin woman, and Percy thought she looked like a vampire. Her green eyes shined in the darkness. She had long red nails, perfect for sinking into someone's flesh. She had long, curly, dark hair. She had a lot of jewelry on her arms and several rings on her fingers.

Clarisse cracked her knuckles. "Circe and Medea, I'll take both of you on," Clarisse said with a smirk. Both girls frowned at the large girl, unamused by her statement.

"Enough of this," Luke growled. "Just kill them."

Luke's group smirked and Medea leapt for Nico. A barrel crashed into her stomach, sending her a few feet through the air. Luke looked towards Percy, who was now standing up. "Leave them alone!" Percy yelled.

"Percy? What the hell are you doing here?" Nico yelled, fists clenched tight.

Percy leapt off of the metal walkway, catching himself with telekinesis before he landed. He lowered himself the rest of the way and jogged over to where Nico and the others stood, taking his place by the dark haired boy. "I came to help."

"You're not supposed to be here," Jason said, keeping his eyes on the group in front of them.

"But the sides are even now," Kinzie said in her sickening sweet voice. "Besides, he's kind of cute." Nico growled at her.

"The boss will want him alive. I'll take him," Luke stated. "Feel free to do as you please with the rest." His group smirked and lunged at the team from U.N.I.T. Percy made an attempt to intercept, but was yanked backwards by Luke, who threw him into a pile of boxes.

Jason arched his hands backwards before sending them forward, sending a bolt of lightning into Kinzie. The girl screamed as she twitched on the ground. Jason walked over and ripped her off the ground. Her screaming stopped and turned to an evil smirk as she gripped Jason's arm. Jason gasped as ice crept up his arm, making his way up to his shoulder. He took a step back, releasing Kinzie from his grasp. He swung his arm at a metal beam to break the ice on his arm. He moved his head to the side at the last second to dodge two ice spikes flying by his head. Kinzie created two more ice spikes, flinging them at Jason again. Jason flicked his arm and sent a bolt of lightning into the shards, shattering them into hundreds of pieces.

Nico dropped through the air, having been ported up by Ethan. He raised two fingers up to his face, and then arched his arm down towards Ethan. Shadows swirled down towards Ethan, striking at the boy like a snake. Nico vanished in the air, reappearing on the ground. He kicked at Ethan. Upon contact with Ethan's side, lights erupted from the impact. Ethan stumbled backwards, clutching his eyes. Making a blind attack, Ethan grabbed the nearest object he could find and ported it above Nico. Nico dove out of the way, but yelped when the crate landed on his leg.

Frank's figure slowly morphed into a large grizzly bear. He stood up on his hind legs and swiped at Aeolus. Aeolus clutched his chest, his shirt now with a long tear across it. He thrust his hand out, sending a heavy gust of wind at Frank. Aeolus snapped his fingers, sending the air upwards, and lifting Frank off the ground. Frank growled and stumbled around as he was lifted by the wind. Aeolus lifted his arms up and flung them forward, causing the wind to fling Frank through the air, into a pile of barrels.

Clarisse clutched her hands together, summoning twin psionic swords into her hands. Circe stood in front of her, smirk firmly in place. Clarisse lunged at her, but Circe snapped her fingers at Clarisse. A kinetic blast erupted in front of Clarisse, sending her flying backwards. Clarisse pushed herself back up with a growl. The glowing swords merged with her hands. She let out a loud yell and ran at Circe once again. She flung herself through the air, forcing Circe to dive out of the way. Clarisse swung her right arm downwards, catching Circe in her side. Circe rolled across the ground, clutching her wound.

Apollo and Medea circled each other. Apollo held a ball of fire in his hand, ready to attack. Medea made a grab for Apollo, but the blond pulled himself away from her grasp. Flinging his hand out, he sent the ball of fire crashing into her. Medea was flung backwards into a metal beam, her clothes now scorched. She rolled out of the way as Apollo flung another fireball at her. Apollo extended both of his hands, flames poured out of them. Medea dashed in circles around Apollo as he tried to hit her with his flamethrower attack. She slid across the ground towards the blond, catching his leg. Apollo let out a gasp. He threw a ball of fire at the ground, but Medea slid behind Apollo and grabbed him from behind. She wrapped a hand around Apollo's throat as his fire slowly stopped appearing in his hand.

Apollo's eyes widened and his blood became sickeningly visible. Medea sank her nails into Apollo's skin, but Apollo couldn't form a scream. Medea leaned in closer to Apollo, opening her mouth. She began sucking in air. A faint mist slipped out from Apollo's opened mouth and slid into Medea's. The room became blurry and Apollo passed out. Medea smiled evilly, and let go of Apollo's throat. The blond collapsed to the ground.

Percy grunted and pulled himself out of the boxes, barely dodging a punch from Luke. Percy was forced to roll in order to dodge a sharp kick from Luke. Luke made another attempt for a punch, but Percy held up a hand and held Luke back with his mind.

Luke's jaw tightened and he struggled forward, trying to grab Percy. Percy raised a barrel in the air and flung it at Luke, but it just bounced off of him. "Give it up, Percy. You can't win this," Luke said between clenched teeth.

"I'm not going to let you guys win. I'm going to stop you," Percy returned. Luke swung at Percy again, only to be stopped once again. Percy threw Luke through the air, into the pile of boxes he had just crawled out of. Percy glanced around the warehouse to try to find Nico. He spotted Nico on top of Ethan, punching the boy in the face.

Percy was tackled to the ground by Luke, who grabbed Percy's throat, trying to suffocate him. Percy clutched at Luke's hands, but couldn't pry them off. Luke's eyes stared murderously down at him. Percy's pupils dialated, covering his eyes in black. Luke's grip loosened briefly before he clutched his head. He fell off of Percy and rolled on the ground. "What the fuck are you doing to me, Jackson?" Luke screamed and punched the ground, the voices in his head becoming overwhelming for him. Percy's head started shaking as he pushed harder into Luke's head.

A hand dug into Percy's shoulder, and his link with Luke's mind was broken. All of his energy seeped out of his body and he collapsed to the ground. He peered up at Medea as she walked over to help Luke up. "He's a feisty one, isn't he?" she said, smiling down at Percy.

"Shut up and go take care of the others." Medea walked off as Luke walked up to Percy. "You're more trouble than you're worth." Luke kicked Percy in the side, and he could only clutch his ribs in pain.

Nico was ripped off of Ethan by Circe and Aeolus. They flung him backwards. He slid along the ground on his back. He slid into something. He looked back to find Jason unconscious. Kinzie smirked down at him. Nico looked around the room at the others. They were all unconscious, scattered around the warehouse. Aeolus helped Ethan to his feet, who was clutching his bruised face.

"All alone now, demon," Medea said, kneeling before Nico.

"Stop calling me that," Nico growled back, his chest rising and falling quickly. He was out of breath, and his body was covered in sweat. He didn't stand a chance against all six of them, but he couldn't abandon his team.

"Why don't you just accept what you are, Nico?" Luke asked, kneeling next to Medea. "Kronos accepts you for what you are, why can't you? He would gladly let you join us and put your powers to good use."

"That fucker killed my parents!" Nico yelled. He flung his hand out at Luke. A dark shadowy claw extended from Nico's hand and grasped Luke's throat. Kinzie and Aeolus ran over and tried to pry it off of Luke, but were unsuccessful. Nico's eyes darkened and cracks slowly spread out from his eyes. "And now I'm going to kill you."

Nico leapt at Luke, but Medea caught him by the throat and thrust him against a beam. She sank her claws into Nico's neck, causing him to scream. Nico's vision blurred for a brief moment as he felt his energy slowly being drained. Medea leaned in closer, placing her lips to Nico's. Nico let out a muffled scream as he felt his skin start to burn. His veins rose to the surface of his skin as the darkness in his eyes faded away.

"That's enough," Luke ordered. Medea pulled away, releasing Nico's throat. Nico collapsed to the ground, unable to move. Luke walked forward and kneeled in front of Nico, rolling him onto his back. "You'll never beat me, Nico, and you'll never beat Kronos. Do you know why?" Nico didn't answer. He could barely keep his eyes open. His body felt like it had nothing left. "Because you won't push past that wall. You keep your true power trapped within you, and because of that, you are weak."

Luke stood back up, snapped his fingers, and headed for the exit. His group looked at Nico's motionless form for a moment longer before following after Luke. Luke grabbed for the door handle to leave the building, but the door bent inwards. Luke looked up as the entire building began creaking. The roof was pulled inward, bending to a dangerous degree. Luke looked over to Percy, but the boy still lay unconscious where they had left him.

His eyes flickered over to Nico, where the boy was standing back up. Nico's entire body had become engulfed in shadow-like flames. His eyes were once again covered in darkness, and it crept out along his face. The dark cracks had spread from his eyes and had now encompassed his entire figure. Nico stood in front of them like a marionette puppet. Ethan took a step forward, but Luke held an arm out to block him. "Don't," Luke whispered. All of the lights in the warehouse shattered, making the building much darker.

"I sucked him dry," Medea stated in astonishment. The shadows around Nico extended around him to become tentacles.

"Take him down!" Luke yelled. The group ran at Nico in attempt to stop the boy, their fatal mistake. Nico's eyes flickered to life, mouth pressed into a thin line. He reached out with his hand in a strangling gesture. A tentacle flew from his back and latched itself around Kinzie's throat. She was lifted off of the ground, kicking and screaming. The others stopped their charge to stare up in horror at their teammate in the air. Nico's other hand rose and he thrust a single finger out in Kinzie's direction. Another shadow tentacle flew through the air and impaled her through the stomach. Kinzie started gasping, while blood poured from her new wound. The tentacle around her throat tightened as blood seeped out of her mouth.

Two more tentacles flew up to her and wrapped around her legs. Luke could only stand and watch in horror at this. Nico had never let himself go like this. Percy groaned from his place on the ground and blinked his eyes open. He heard screaming and looked up to see Kinzie in the air.

Nico opened his mouth and started mumbling something to himself. The shadow in her stomach removed itself to wrap around her torso. All of the shadows tightened their grip on her and began to slowly pull away from one another. Kinzie screeched in terror as she felt her bones starting to crack. Nico jerked his arms apart and Kinzie was ripped to pieces, her lifeless body parts dropping to the ground. Medea made a dash for Nico, trying to grab him. Nico caught her by the wrist and pulled her close to him. He used his other hand to pull shadows to it. He held his hand over Medea's screaming face. He let shadows drop down into her open mouth, causing her to choke and clutch her throat.

Medea stumbled backwards, trying to spit up the black substance. Nico held his hand out like a claw. Medea's eyes widened at him. She stared pleadingly into his black eye sockets. Nico pulled his hand backwards, ripping the shadows from Medea's throat. Medea fell to her knees as she began choking. Nico held up two fingers and pointed them at Medea's head. A snake-like shadow wrapped itself around Nico's arm, sliding down Nico's arm to his hand. It pointed itself at Medea and launched itself at her head, impaling her through the eye. Medea's lifeless body fell backwards as blood poured out onto the ground.

Luke had seen enough. He punched a hole in the wall and made a run for it. Ethan vanished from the warehouse, leaving Circe and Aeolus frozen in horror. Nico held his hand out over the ground, letting shadows pour down onto the ground. It started moving and rising. A black beast stood beside Nico, who had once again returned to his marionette position. The beast snarled at the two in front of it, who were taking steps backwards.

It leapt at Aeolus, pinning him to the ground. Circe screamed and ran for the hole Luke had made. Aeolus screamed for her to help him while the beast tore into his flesh. Percy tried pushing the beast off of Aeolus with telekinesis, but barely nudged it. However, the beast took notice of Percy. It left Aeolus lying on the floor as he tried to shove his intestines back into his body cavity with what time he had left, and stepped towards Percy. Percy gasped and pushed himself off of the ground. It leapt at Percy, who managed to scurry away as it barreled into a pile of boxes.

Percy ran up to Nico and began shaking him. "Nico, you have to snap out of it!" Percy yelled, looking between Nico and the shadow beast. Nico didn't answer or even make a move. He just stood there. Percy was tackled to the ground as the beast jumped past his head. He looked up to see Jason above him.

"Don't let your guard down," Jason said, eyes trained on the beast.

"But it's Nico."

Jason pointed to Nico's unmoving form. "That isn't Nico, Percy. That's what happens when he loses control." Jason pulled Percy back to his feet. "He won't discriminate on who to hurt. He's become insane and paranoid. He. Will. Kill. You." Percy looked around. Frank was helping Clarisse out of the building, she was limping on her right leg. Apollo had made his way over to Jason and Percy and was shielding them from the shadow creature. It leapt at them and Apollo blasted it with a large blast of fire.

"We need to get out of here," Apollo stated.

"He's right, Percy."

"No, I can save him," Percy said, pulling his arm from Jason's grasp.

"Percy, you saw what he did to the others. He will kill you without remorse in his current state. Do you know how upset he'll be with himself when he gets his sanity back? He doesn't want to do this, but he can't help it. Luke pushed him past his limits."

"No! I can get through to him. I know I can." Jason looked at him hesitantly. "Go! I'll be fine." The roof of the building cracked, sending debris down to the ground. Jason looked at Percy for a moment before nodding.

"I hope you're right." Jason clapped Percy on the shoulder and jogged off with Apollo.

Percy looked back at Nico. The shadow beast was seeping back into the pile of shadows around Nico. Percy took a few steps towards Nico. "Nico, I know you're in there." The walls of the building creaked, and pulled inwards. Percy looked around at the walls, The shadows on the walls were being ripped from the walls to aid Nico.

Percy closed the distance between them, raising his hands to grasp Nico's face. "Get off of me!" Nico yelled, expanding the shadows around him to try to push Percy off.

"Nico, stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Well, that makes one of us," Nico growled back. He held out his hand to form his shadow dagger. Percy grabbed Nico's arm to halt the attack.

"Nico, stop! I know you don't want to do this! You need to snap out of it." Percy grasped Nico's head between his hands, pushing into Nico's mind.

_"Why do you care?"_

_"You're just like Luke. You'll abandon me."_

_ "You're weak. You would throw your life away, willingly, to try to save me when I don't even want to be saved."_

"That's not true!" Percy yelled, pulling Nico closer. "I know you're still in there. I know you don't want to do this. I'm not going to abandon you. I never will." He made Nico look into his eyes. "I know you won't hurt me." He touched his forehead to Nico's, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist, and trapping Nico's arms at his sides.

_"You'll betray us!"_

Percy pushed in further, trying to find the human part of Nico he knew was still in there.

_"Letgoofme...Ihateyou...Failure...Hate...Kronos...MomDadBianca...Percy."_

Percy blinked his eyes and stared down at Nico. The cracks on Nico's face had darkened. Parts of the wall broke off and the shadows from them pooled into the pile around Nico.

_"Percy! Get away! Now!"_

_ "__**DIE!**__"_

Darkness exploded from Nico's eyes, sending Percy flying back into a metal beam. Percy grunted as he fell to the ground. He looked up at Nico, who was stumbling towards him. Nico held his hand up, bringing a sharpened shadow tentacle above him. He swung his arm at Percy, sending the tentacle spiraling at Percy. Right before impact, Nico's eyes cleared up and slowly closed. His arm fell limply to his side, and his body fell to the ground. The tentacle vanished, leaving a faint hissing sound in the air for a few seconds.

Percy blinked at Nico's unconscious figure. He crawled over to Nico and brought Nico's head into his lap. "Nico?" Percy asked, running a hand through Nico's wet hair. Nico didn't answer. Percy slipped a hand under Nico's shirt to feel for a heartbeat. Nico's heart was beating in overtime. Percy gasped and scooped Nico up. He hurried outside, to find the others standing at a grey van.

"What happened?" Jason asked when Percy reached them.

"He just collapsed," Percy answered. Apollo and Frank opened the back of the van and Percy lay Nico inside of it.

"He exhausted himself," Clarisse said, feeling Nico's pulse. "He really pushed himself. We need to get him back to base immediately."

"Is he going to be ok?" Percy asked as everyone started boarding the van.

Jason pulled Percy inside, letting Percy sit by Nico's side. "He'll be fine, Percy. He just lost control. When that happens, he doesn't know when to stop. Be glad something brought him out of it," Jason assured him.

"Why?"

Apollo looked back at them from the passenger seat. "Because, if he didn't, he would have destroyed himself," Apollo explained. "He doesn't know when to stop. Our bodies are still mortal, Percy, even with all the things we can do. His body would have eventually torn itself apart, because he wouldn't have stopped using his powers. His only conscious thought is to destroy anything he sees as a threat, which is everything."

_You can go ahead and give me your praise for giving Kinzie a gruesome death. Again, for those that read A Tale of Love and Thrones. Everyone hates her in there. I hate her in there. So, Bragi told me I can vent my rage in Choke, and that's just what I did. So, did you guys hate it? I worry I crossed an OP line with Nico. I do have something about that on the horizon. Expect clues next chapter. Also, you get a vague clue to the sequel next chapter. Well, vague if you're not paying attention. Now you will be :D. But there is a reason Nico is so freaking powerful. I promise its not just because I love him. I has reason. You find out next chapter. Also, I thought Percy's inner monologue while at Will's place was nice. He's starting to come closer to that decision I think. Also, how did you like my use of Athena? She's pretty awesome. She was Bragi's idea. Needed someone to help Percy with telepathy. But yes, how did you guys feel about the scene at the end with Nico going crazy? Oh yes, before I go. Ahem. Nico's gone crazy. Crazy..._

(•_•)

( •_•)⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

_...in love._

_YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!_

_I have no shame. Yea. There's my CSI Miami thing, if you didn't get it. I'm on a kick of that right now. I blame Jesse Cox. Anyways, I'm out. No extra chapter this week, so I'll see you guys next Sunday. Bye._


	13. Chapter 13

_I see I didn't do a bad job last chapter. Lots of love on Nico's insanity. I just got back from Nashville last night. Dark Knight Rises was awesome. I got to visit the Parthenon. I took some pictures of PJO movie props. Like the dart Annabeth used, the pearl, and the movie script. I saw the giant statue of Athena. Luckily, there was no Hydra there. I would like to point out, a lot of that scene in the movie was not filmed in Nashville. The statue is different, there is no water fountain, and there is no drain. It could have been added for the movie, but I think they filmed the inside scene elsewhere. I did purchase a statue of Athena. You can check out my deviantART for a few pictures I have put up._

_I'd like to take this time to make the announcement that I am a guy. Apparently the word 'Son' in my username does not make it obvious :P. I'm going to state this in all of my stories, so that I never have a confusion on the subject again. I'm in a long process of hashing out chapter 14. It is a very big moment in the story, and I just can't do it injustice. Though, you'll all love it ;). This chapter is will include your first glimpse at part of the plot of the sequel, so keep your eyes open. It isn't the whole plot, just a small portion of it. Anyways, on to shout outs._

_Lucy: Well, Choke is single, it just got out of an abusive relationship. You are welcome to date it :P. I've technically already finished next chapter, but I go on a posting schedule, so I just post one chapter a week._

_Awesome older sibling: It's ok :P. I'll forgive you this time, but I might have to punish next time. One of the best parts last chapter, Kinzie meeting her bitter end. Nico's powers are smexy, as he is. Haha. I'll think about doing another CSI Miami thing in the future. Well, I loved Cortana in the Halo series, so she was slightly based off of her. You know, I want to play Mass Effect, but have never gotten it. I love Dragon Age, though. Yes, you do need to read that. Children of Loss is apparently my best fic._

_Reining: Who's a bastard? And who's a bitch? We would be very sad without him. Yes! My stress reliever for writing her in A Tale of Love and Thrones. She will appear in the others as well, just so I can make myself happy. I loved last chapter too. Though, this one is pretty awesome as well._

_DarkLove: Thank you! Nico's is just a troubled youth. His heart is very dark after everything he went through, and his power is reflected through that. Ah yes, Cato. I was sad to see him go. I'm a shipper of Cato/Peeta. Haha. Well, the only reason I didn't have an extra chapter was because 12, 13, and 14 are interesting chapters, and I just wanted them spaced out. Chapters 9 and 10 were sort of down chapters, so I didn't see a problem with giving an extra one. Also, I only just finished 14 about two days ago, so I need to get back ahead if I want to post an extra chapter._

_Luckyducky: Good :D. Thank you. I'm enjoying Athena in this story, I'll probably take her into the sequel. Haha. Everything Nico does is awesome. I love the Phoenix in the Marvel universe, so when I sort of took her to form Nico's character, I wanted him to be very well done when making him lose his mind. Speaking of which, one of the last scenes in the chapter is loosely taken from X-men: The Last Stand._

_Emillia wharton: Lol. I'm not a kid. Not much younger than you. Haha. Needs. Needs demanding sexy times with two sexy guys. Hmm. I was just being silly anyways. Though, I really am not sure about putting a smut scene in this fic. Nico is an emotional character. He hasn't wanted in Percy's pants yet, so it will be a process between them getting together and them getting it on. Might actually take until the sequel. I really am not sure. If I don't put one, I might go back and down the rating to T, but I still have language, underage drinking, and hints of sex in the story. I think you probably could find better smut on , though than to read that Fifty Shades of Grey thing. But yes, I would have no qualms putting a smut scene in, I just don't want it to seemed forced._

_Rebel99: That it was. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you :D. I'd never forget to update. I actually pester Bragi on a daily basis to have my chapters ready._

_Robin: Aha! You read another one of my stories, so I don't have to wait until Friday to tell you that I'm a guy lol. I notice you make a lot of song references :P. Let the body parts hit the floor is more like it._

_Veerayne: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. Nico is pretty epic when he goes crazy. Athena is becoming one of my favorite characters in the story. Haha. He is working two teams there. Double agent, sort of. In a cave? Are you Batman? :O_

_Guest: Haha. I have to ask if you read my A Tale of Love and Thrones story. I have actually caused many people to hate her. Even one to include her on their profile stating that they hate her. I told all of you that it would be a grand time when Nico lost it. I mean, not that we are done with that yet._

_iPineapplePants: No one can surpass Nico in kickass ninja stealth._

_AzucenaXshadows: Yes, soon Percy will be super epic. They are adorable when they are being affectionate. Yay. I'm glad you liked. I'm glad I can do a good job with imagery in my stories. Mwhahah. Twist with Athena._

_HeyItsAmber: Let 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' play, her death will be more fun. I do have a thing for dark stories. Lol. Fight scenes make me want to kill myself more than smut. They both physically and mentally drain my body writing them. Why is Bragi violent?_

_Make-It-Now: Hooray!_

_HubrisP: Thank you. Haha. Awesome older sibling might get jealous :P. Or Reining, Veerayne, or any of the others that Amber says I'm having affairs with. Yes, I'll never forget the original. She'll get the worst of my fury. People will reread it many times over and be like, oh shit this person is fucked up in the head. It will be that sadistic and awesome._

_I think I died a little this morning. I browsed my deviantART and saw I had a notification. My heart stopped when I saw that Hitome-Chan had replied to a comment I left on a fanart piece that was made for him. I may or may not have acted like a total fanboy. But he said he was going to be updating soon! I must wait patiently. Ok focus, must stop having a heart attack. Anyways, let's get on with this chapter._

_Warning: Kinzie's bloody corpse...oh wait, that should have been last chapter. Well, I'm sure there will be blood this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't always kill Kinzie, but when I do, I make it sadistic._

Chapter 13

Percy stood outside of the room as Chiron and two other men strapped Nico down to a table. They had brought him up to floor eleven for holding. It didn't sit right with Percy, though. They were treating Nico like a prisoner. He couldn't help what happened. Percy just stood there and watched in silence, though. Jason stood beside Percy, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder. "He'll be alright. I'm sure he'll be back to normal in no time," Jason said reassuringly.

Percy nodded his head. He couldn't take his eyes off of Nico's unconscious form. Chiron took an IV and hooked it up to Nico's arm. He caught Percy staring at them, but didn't do anything. Chiron returned his attention to Nico, opening the boys eyes. Chiron frowned and said something to the men in the room with him.

The men eventually left the room, leaving Chiron alone with Nico. Percy took a final glance at Nico before pushing into the room. Jason called out for him to stop, but Percy wouldn't listen. Chiron raised an eyebrow at Percy as he approached the table Nico was lying on. "Is he ok?" Percy asked, looking up at Chiron.

"I cannot say, Percy," Chiron replied, inspecting Nico's vitals.

"He's not still insane, is he?"

Chiron sighed. "I don't know, Percy. I've never seen him go this far. He has always been in control." Chiron scribbled some notes down on a clipboard. "I just want to keep him here for observation. I don't want him to be a danger to the rest of us."

"How did he do that? I saw Medea drain him. How did he get back up?"

Chiron turned around to face Percy. "There are a lot of things about Nico I still don't understand, Percy. I can't even begin to explain his power." He sighed and placed the clipboard under his arm. "You should come up to my office later. There is a file up there that I think you should see. Nico is in it."

"What is it?"

"We call it the Omega file. You'll understand when you see it." Chiron looked down at Nico. "Going back to your previous question, his power reflects his personality. He has a lot of darkness in his heart, and so too is the nature of his power dark." Chiron sat down on the table next to Nico. "Nico is similar to you, Percy. You show potential to be the stronger of the two, but Nico is incredibly powerful. I cannot begin to understand the cause of the sanity draining effect. It could have been there from birth, or it could be due to his damaged psyche. We will probably never know."

"What happens when he snaps?"

"You could call it a berserker rage."

Percy bit his lip and stared down at Nico's unconscious form. "Can you explain it a little to me?"

"We encountered a small dose of it when he first came here, but it was a contained situation," Chiron explained. "His readings flew off the chart, as yours have shown while in training. His body stops registering fatigue. Basically, he will keep going until he either manages to wear himself out or he destroys himself." Percy gulped. Nico's story was constantly filled with tragic things, it was beyond unfair.

Percy nodded. "Is there anything that can be done to fix it?" Percy whispered.

Chiron shook his head. "Nothing that I know of. My best advice for if he snaps is to stay out of his way. He becomes paranoid and angry. He sees everyone as an enemy, and that will include you." Chiron sighed and stood back up. "I'm going to run up to my office now. Please come have a look at those documents when you get a chance." Percy nodded and Chiron left the room.

Percy looked back down at Nico, running a hand through his dark locks. "Please wake up," Percy whispered. Percy let his head drop when Nico didn't respond. This was twice that Percy had to see Nico in a situation like this. Perhaps Percy could go to his parents for help? Could they have something to help Nico?

Percy sat by Nico's side for half an hour, just watching the boy breathing lightly. It sucked not seeing a response from Nico, but maybe, with time, he would wake up. Hopefully Nico would be himself again when he woke up. Chiron had said he had never seen it get this bad. Was Nico lost to his own insanity? Percy gave Nico's hand one final squeeze before standing up and exiting the room.

He made his way to the elevator and headed up to Chiron's office. The ride up seemed to take forever. Percy's mind was racing with the silence. He didn't like having so much time to think. All he could think about were the worst case scenarios in this situation.

He made his way off the elevator, heading down the hall to Chiron's office. Percy knocked on the door and waited for Chiron's answer. "Come in," Chiron called from inside. Percy sighed and pushed the door open. Chiron was over at a filing cabinet when Percy entered. Percy had never really paid it any attention before, but now that he did he noticed it was filled with tons of folders. Chiron pulled a black one from the bottom drawer and went back over to his desk. He slid the file across the desk for Percy to look at.

Percy walked over and sat down in the chair across from Chiron. He pulled the folder to him and looked inside of it. "What is this?" Percy asked. Inside were several photos of people, all with tons of information on each of them.

"The Omega file. It is a complete list of everyone in the world that classifies as an 'Omega'."

"What is it exactly?"

Percy found Nico's file and pulled it out, staring down at the boy's photo. He felt bad for not even knowing the boy's age was nineteen. Nico didn't look nineteen. "That is the term we use to label those that stand out amongst the other Specials." Percy flipped to the next file, finding Chiron's photo. "The Omegas are more 'dangerous', I suppose you could say, than other Specials. They possess greater amounts of power than others." Percy flipped to the last file in the folder. He pulled out his own file and stared down at it. These people had really done their research on him. He glanced back up at Chiron. "Not all of them are in U.N.I.T. Kronos is in there as well."

Percy flipped through the folder again. Sure enough, he came across the picture of Kronos. "Explosions?" Percy mumbled.

Chiron frowned. "Yes, a very dangerous power. It is exactly what the name suggests. He can make things blow up." Percy exhaled and slid the file back into the folder. Things seemed a lot different to him all of a sudden. Things seemed more real to Percy. He didn't realize they were dealing with people that stood out amongst other Specials. "Not all of them are with the Consortium either. Some of them live ordinary lives, not wanting a part of this war. We are hoping that the Consortium doesn't have a list of these people. As far as we know, we are the only ones that have it."

"Why are you showing me this now?"

Chiron laced his hands together. "I feel it is important that you truly understand not only what Nico is, but what we are up against as well." Chiron held out his hand and Percy handed the folder over. "I also feel that it will help you understand yourself a little better too."

"If you and Nico are Omegas, why don't you just go stop Kronos?" Percy asked, tilting his head to the side.

Chiron chuckled. "If only it were that easy, my boy." He sighed heavily. "I rarely go and fight. My place is here, running everything from behind the scenes. I don't know if Nico could handle Kronos by himself. He might be capable of defeating Kronos, but I don't want to risk him losing control. Kronos killed Nico's parents, as you know. How do you think Nico would react the moment he was presented with an opportunity to kill Kronos?"

"He'd lose it and tear the man apart."

"Exactly. I am not certain if we could bring Nico back from something like that. It isn't as simple as him going insane after a certain point. After he goes insane, he keeps getting more and more paranoid. That will happen until he reaches that worst case scenario that I mentioned, and right in those last moments, Nico will have lost himself entirely to the darkness of his own mind."

"So what do we do?"

Chiron sat back in his chair. "That is where you come in. Now that we know about your telepathy, things will be much easier. You will be the one to fight Kronos in the end." Percy frowned.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Chiron chuckled. "No, you are not ready, yet. You will be, though. In time, you will become strong enough to beat Kronos. After all, it is what Rachel foretold of your future."

Percy let out a heavy sigh. "I'll try my best."

* * *

Percy sighed as he left the elevator. He made his way back down the hall, towards Nico's containment room. He stopped moving when he found the woman with black hair that took Nico from Percy when Nico broke his back looking into his window. Percy walked up to her and peered inside the window. Nico was sitting up on the table, being examined by a boy with black hair and brown eyes. "What's going on?" Percy asked. The woman next to him turned her head and stared at Percy quizzically.

"Michael is examining him," the woman replied. "You are?"

"Oh, I'm Percy. Who are you?"

"Reyna," she replied, turning back to the room.

"When did he wake up?"

"Not too long ago, but something's not right about him."

Percy looked back at Nico. The boy seemed fine to him. "Why do you say that?"

"Well for starters, he should still be passed out. With what he went through, he should have slipped into a coma."

Percy shivered at the thought. "Anything else?"

"He is being unresponsive. He has yet to say a single word. Michael and I have been trying to get him to talk for the past twenty minutes, but all he does is stare at us." She scribbled something down on her clipboard. "There's also the issue with his eyes."

"What issue?" Percy said, looking at Reyna questioningly.

"His eyes are still black. I figure if he were truly back to normal, his eyes would be too. I think it best he stay in here for a while longer." Michael sighed and stepped away from Nico. He glanced at the window and shook his head. He packed up his stuff and left Nico's room.

Michael glanced at Percy upon exiting, but Reyna nodded that it was ok to talk. "His vitals seem normal, which has me worried. I feel like he should still be recovering, but his body is showing no signs of fatigue right now," Michael stated. "He wouldn't say a word to me. Honestly, most of the time I felt like he was plotting my death while he was watching me." Michael sighed. "I hate to say it, but I don't think that is our Nico in there."

Reyna nodded. "Let's go tell Chiron," she said. She looked back at Percy. "I'd advise you to stay out of his room. It's probably not safe." Percy nodded and the two walked off. He walked up to the bulletproof glass window and pressed his hand to it.

Nico had lain back down and was staring up at the ceiling. Percy glanced at the elevator door that Reyna and Michael had left in. Making sure the coast was clear, he walked over to the door and stepped inside Nico's room.

As Percy approached, Nico sat up and looked at him. Percy felt himself shiver from Nico's eyes. They were still filled with shadows, just like Reyna had said. They were haunting. "Nico?" Percy asked, stepping closer to Nico. He stood between Nico's legs, raising a hand to brush some of Nico's hair out of his face.

Nico didn't respond, though. He just stared back at Percy, his shoulders slumped. Percy pursed his lips and trailed his fingers down Nico's cheek. "Nico, are you ok?" he tried again. "Please talk to me." A sadistic smile made its way onto Nico's face. "Nico, please."

"Nico," Nico mimed, letting his head fall to the side.

Percy sighed, pulled Nico's head towards him, and placed a kiss on Nico's forehead. Nico didn't react, though. It was like he didn't even acknowledge the action. "I'm going to try to make you better," Percy whispered. "I just hope you trust me. I think I know some people that can help."

"Ashes," Nico whispered back.

Percy's face dropped. He prayed that it wasn't too late to help Nico. His parents had to have something that could help. If they didn't, Nico might be stuck like this forever, always stuck in this state of madness.

* * *

Percy stepped out of the taxi as it pulled up to his parents' lab. He jogged up the steps and made his way inside. The security guard glanced up at him, but looked back down upon seeing who it was. Percy walked up to him and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but do you know if my parents are in at the moment?" Percy asked.

The security guard glanced up again. "Your dad's down in their lab," the man replied, with slight irritation.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Can I get clearance to go down and see him?"

The guard grumbled and pulled his feet off the desk. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but your son is here wanting to talk to you." The man paused for a moment. "Alright, I'll send him right down." Percy smiled and headed over to the elevator.

He hit the sub-basement button and the elevator shot downwards. The doors slid open again and Percy walked out into the white lab. His father was over at the massive computer, and Athena was projecting herself next to him on her pedestal. "Good afternoon, Percy," Poseidon called, not bothering to turn away from his work.

"Sorry to bother you, dad, but I was wondering if you could help with something," Percy said, walking up to Athena's pedestal. He smiled and ran his hand through her image. She stomped her foot and shot him a glare.

"What can I do for you, son?"

"Well, you remember Nico, right?" Poseidon finally looked at Percy and nodded. "Well, he's got a problem."

Percy gave his father a quick briefing of Nico's situation. Poseidon nodded occasionally, and rubbed his beard when Percy was finished. "I see. Well, I'll need to take a look at him myself. We have a few serums we're working on, but I can't give him anything without examining him. Could you bring him here?"

"Possibly, but I don't think Chiron will just let me take Nico."

"I suppose you're right, but I need him here. If I cannot take a look at him, I cannot be of help to him."

"Couldn't you come take a look at him?"

Poseidon crossed his arms. "I'd prefer not to. No offense to them, but we keep our distance from both of those groups. They don't know what we do, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"But you're ok with bringing Nico here? Don't you think he'll want to know what my parents are up to?"

"You said he was in a state of insanity. Hopefully, he won't remember."

"Can you guys hold him?"

"Athena's security system will make sure he doesn't escape."

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Do you really think you can help?"

"It's a shot in the dark, but I feel confident we can do something for him," Poseidon replied. He raised an eyebrow at Percy. "You really seem to care about him. I hope that won't be a problem if you come to work for us after this is all over."

Percy stared down at his feet. "I haven't put much thought into where I'd end up. I do care about him. I guess I don't know how to respond to that, though. I don't know if I can promise I won't let my feelings get in the way."

Poseidon sighed. "Well, I must say I'm a little disappointed, but I guess it's to be expected. You still need to find a way to get him here. Use whatever means necessary. If he's as bad as you say he is, he might be at risk of being permanently trapped in such a state."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Percy, the human mind is a delicate thing. Too much strain on it, such as Nico is putting on his, could leave the psyche permanently damaged. We should get him looked at and fixed before he goes into another fit of rage. He might not come back from the next one."

"You mean he could end up insane for the rest of his life?" Poseidon nodded. "I guess I'll use my powers if it comes down to it. I'll find a way to get him out of there."

* * *

Michael briskly walked down the hall after leaving the elevator. The cameras had stopped working in Nico's room. He frowned as he looked into Nico's room. The lights were blinking on and off in an eerie fashion. Nico still lay on the table, seemingly unconscious again. Michael slid his ID into the slot and opened the door. He walked over to the monitors to check Nico's vitals. He stared at the monitor in confusion, doing a quick reload to make sure the data was right. It didn't change anything, though. Nico's vitals were off the charts. He turned his head to look at the dark haired boy on the table.

Michael jumped when the table screeched along the floor. He gulped and took a step closer to Nico. "Nico?" Michael asked, but the boy didn't respond. He still seemed to be unconscious. Michael looked at the camera that was in the room. It had been smashed to pieces, now dangling from its place on the wall.

Michael walked over to the call button, but it was crushed before he could touch it. A cold chill ran down his back as he turned back to face Nico. Michael exhaled slowly as he walked over to the table. He inspected Nico, trying to see if anything was suspicious. Nico's body looked normal, except for the faint darkness that creeped out from under his eyelids.

* * *

Rachel fidgeted in her sleep. She kept mumbling the word "no" over and over again. Her forehead was covered in sweat as she writhed in her sheets. "Too late," she mumbled in her sleep. "Get out, Michael."

Rachel bolted upright, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was shaking uncontrollably. She looked around her room in fear, realizing that it had just been a dream. She bit her lip and tried to stop her body from shaking, but to no avail. It hadn't been a dream, it was too real. Something bad was about to happen. It was like the calm before the storm, and everyone in the building was in danger.

She crawled out of bed and ran for her door. She scurried down the hall, sliding across the tiled floor as she ran. She made her way into the elevator, repeatedly hitting the button to Chiron's floor. She collapsed to the floor, pulling her legs to her chest. She rocked herself back and forth and prayed that it wasn't too late.

She ran from the elevator the moment it opened. She didn't even knock on Chiron's door, she just burst inside. Chiron looked up from his desk, giving the girl a questioning look. "Rachel, what's the matter, child?" Chiron asked with concern.

"Chiron, ," Rachel said as fast as she could.

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "Slow down, girl."

"Everyone is in danger. You need to evacuate the building."

"What for?" Chiron asked, standing up. "What's happening?"

"It's Nico, he's-" she froze, staring blankly off into space. She gasped. "He's awake."

* * *

Nico's eyes shot open and he immediately grabbed Michael by the neck. Michael's eyes widened and he raised his hands to try and pry Nico off of him. "Out," Nico whispered, letting his head tilt slightly. Michael finally managed to pry Nico's hand off of him, stumbling backwards in a coughing fit. Nico slid off the table, walking towards Michael.

"Nico, you're being kept here for your own good. You're not well," Michael tried reasoning.

"Let me...OUT!" Nico yelled. The room started creaking and the glass shattered. In mere seconds, Nico's body covered itself with dark cracks. A dark tentacle extended from Nico's back and impaled Michael through the chest, pressing him against the wall. Without sparing the dying boy a second look, Nico made his way to the door.

As Nico approached the door, the shadows covering the door pressed against the door, making it bend outwards. Nico held up his hand and the tentacle that impaled Michael rammed into the door, breaking it off its hinges and throwing it into the hallway.

An alarm started blaring, but it didn't stop Nico. He boarded the elevator and hit the lobby button. Upon arriving at the lobby, Nico found the room filled with agents. Chiron stepped through the crowd, but kept his distance from Nico. "Nico, you don't need to do this," the man tried reasoning. "We are not your enemies."

Nico drug his body out of the elevator, letting shadows fall from his hand. The dark material pooled on the ground and the dark shadow beast rose from it. A few men were startled and fell backwards, trying to get away from the creature. It growled at people as Nico made his way into the lobby.

"Nico, we cannot let you leave here in your condition," Chiron tried again.

"Are you going to stop me, old man?" Nico asked with a dark smirk.

"Restrain him." A few agents walked forward to do as they were ordered, but Nico didn't let them get close enough. The darkness from his eyes expanded across the nearby skin as shadows erupted from his body. The agents went flying, some impaled by a few tentacles that followed the blast. "Nico, this isn't you. I know you are still in there."

"Nico's dead."

* * *

Percy paid the taxi driver and walked up to U.N.I.T. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the door. The metal door had a hole and a large dent in it. Percy bolted inside and gasped. The lobby was in ruins. Some of the lights were dangling from the ceiling. Agents littered the ground, Percy wasn't sure of their condition. One of the pillars was missing part of its lower half. The floor was destroyed in several spots, and the front desk was a pile of rubble.

Percy spotted Chiron lying on the ground. He ran over to the fallen man and rolled him onto his back. Chiron started coughing and tried to sit up, only to collapse in pain. "What happened?" Percy asked.

"Nico. He escaped his room and went on a rampage," Chiron answered. "I'm surprised he made it out of here. He put so much power into that attack. I fear that the rest of the building might have been damaged from it."

"He got away?"

Chiron nodded while coughing. "Without his body feeling fatigue, he's capable of much more dangerous attacks." Chiron finally managed to sit up. "I just fear for his current state. He could be close to death after the stunt he pulled here."

Percy glanced around the destroyed room. "Do you have any idea where he went?"

Chiron raised an eyebrow at Percy. "Why?"

Percy bit his lip. "I think I know a way to help him, but I need you to trust me. You can't ask questions, I'm sorry."

"That's not very reassuring, Percy."

Percy frowned, looking down at the ground. "I know and I'm sorry. I just can't tell you. It's not my decision."

Chiron sighed. "I couldn't begin to imagine where he might have gone. Luke might be a good guess."

"Why Luke?"

"While he might see everyone as an enemy, he'll more than likely seek out people who anger him the most. Luke is one person that comes to mind. Kronos might be another choice."

"I don't suppose I can go there?"

"If you did, they wouldn't willingly let you leave. Nico is in danger if he goes there as well. I'm not sure how much more his body can take, Percy. He's dangerous in his current state. Remember what I said about his last moments before he destroyed himself?"

"He'd be completely consumed by his own darkness."

"If he goes to Kronos or Luke while they are at their base, he might destroy himself to take all of them out with him. He would do exactly what he did here."

"Let's hope he didn't go there."

"Indeed," Chiron groaned as he stood up. "We'll need to get everyone looked after here, but after that I'll take you up to the Trackers and help you find him."

* * *

After getting the injured looked after and accounting for the dead, Chiron led Percy up to the fifth floor. They entered a large computer lab. It had monitors covering every wall and several sets of computers on the surrounding desks. Papers were scattered all over the place. Two of the monitors had been shattered and one of the control panels had been cracked. "It's like a bomb went off in this place," Percy said.

"Essentially that's what happened," Chiron replied. He groaned and pressed a hand to his back. He walked up to Leo, who was trying to organize the papers.

"What happened down there, Chiron?" Leo asked, turning to look at the two new arrivals.

"Nico escaped." Leo pursed his lips. "Is Lou Ellen here?"

"I'm here," a girl said, poking her head out from behind a desk. She stood up and placed some papers on the desk. "This place is a mess." The girl had her black hair up in a ponytail. She had chestnut eyes that seemed to pierce into your mind, pulling out every bit of information. She was a pale girl, paler that Nico. She was a little on the short side, barely reaching Leo's shoulders. She scratched her head and looked around the room. She sighed and walked over to pick up a broken picture frame.

"Lou, I'd like you to meet Percy," Chiron said, gesturing towards the green eyed boy next to him.

A bright smile appeared on her face. "I was hoping I'd get to meet you," she said. "You were my greatest find. Though I must say, you were quite hard to track at first. It was like something was trying to shield you from us."

Percy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "How odd," Percy replied.

"We need your help finding Nico," Chiron said, pulling their attention back to him.

Lou Ellen sighed exasperatedly. "Alright," she replied, walking up to one of the damaged computers. She picked up a visor and placed it over her head. The monitor lit up and showed a virtual map of New York City. "Let's see what we can find." Percy noticed her eyes begin to glow underneath the visor. The map started moving on its own. "He's not making it that hard to find him. He's radiating a ton of power. He's pretty much sending up a flare that says, 'hey come and find me'."

Chiron placed a hand to his chin, watching the map with interest. "He's not going to the Consortium," Chiron mumbled. Percy glanced up at him before looking back at the screen. Percy's eyebrows furrowed as the map started focusing in on Nico's location. Why did that place look familiar? "I'm not familiar with this place. Leo, is there anything in this neighborhood?"

Leo walked up to them, taking a look at the monitor. "Not that I'm aware of. It's just a residential area," Leo replied.

Percy gasped, his eyes widening when he realized the location. "I know where he's gone," Percy whispered.

_Now you can understand why Nico is more OP than some of the others. Well, him, Percy, Chiron, and Kronos to name a few. It's not something impossible that some of these people could be born stronger than others, or in Percy's case, made to be stronger. Just keep in mind that Percy's DNA was altered to be perfect. He will be the strongest out of all of them. So yes, the problem with Nico losing his mind, is that he'll eventually destroy his own body. This is regardless of if he recovers or not. The mind can only take so much, eventually it would make him permanently insane, which would in turn cause him to eventually destroy himself. Oh yes, if you were lost when Nico said "Ashes", think back to chapter 4, to the nightmare. Shit went down. Nico didn't completely destroy U.N.I.T., he just pretty much left the bottom ten or so floors in ruin. I'll give a cookie to whoever guesses where Nico has gone. Anyways, remember to tune in next Sunday for the next chapter. It's a big chapter, as I said. I will see you then._


	14. Chapter 14

_Oh good, it's Sunday. That means we are back with the next installment of this lovely tale. I know you'll all enjoy it. Perhaps it has something you've all been waiting for. Has the moment truly arrived? Read and find out, after you read the A/N. I really wonder where some ideas for Nico's location came from. I was intrigued by the idea that Nico went back to the place his parents died. I will say it is wrong. That was all the way in Texas, and Nico used a lot of power to wreck U.N.I.T. Also I question how Nico knows where Percy's parents lab is? Percy didn't learn about it until recently, after Nico had stopped investigating him. He'd have no knowledge of the place._

_I'm not really sure at this point how many chapters this is going to be. I estimate around 20-25 chapters. Just a rough estimate. Yes, that does mean we are nearing the end. But the sequel lies ahead. Next order of business. 22 freaking reviews! New record. I told Bragi and he was in disbelief. I had to repeat it to him three times. I suppose this chapter can be a thank you lol. I do want to thank you guys, I really do. I might work harder to get more chapters so I can post an extra in the near future. Shout outs!_

_Rainingstars17: Thank you. Lots of cool stuff this chapter. I didn't really understand the Nico's Michael thing. I'm also not sure what you meant by if only he knew. Anyways. Sunday is here. So close on the guess._

_LizziDaughterofHades: That's a long time. Haha. I'm sorry. You caught up to my posting day :P. Fear not, the next chapter is here. I would never...ok I can never promise Nico's safety, Reining and Make-It-Now can attest to that. You could always hibernate for a week until the next posting day :D. There's nothing really important to do, real life doesn't matter._

_AzucenaXshadows: I liked the theory. It would make sense. But Nico is just in a fit of rage. That place is more of a sit and think, like going and sitting at a tombstone. That might sound creepy. Thank you. Haha. I'm sorry. I'll try to make it less addicting._

_Bookwormz-4-life: Good guess :D_

_Reining: I don't think I ever said you would love 17 until chapter 20. Besides, Nico was never really dead. I would never actually kill Nico. It made for an awesome bit you must admit. Hey that rhymed. Well, he did. So I can die happy. I'm sure it will all be ok. Lots of destruction. Mwhaha. Sane like Nico? I love making Nico all crazy badass. Well, if he went to the crash site, Percy would have a long way to get there. It is in Texas after all, and they are in New York. Well, I did promise another Nico and Will scene, didn't I? Mwhahaha._

_DarkLove: One of those is right. Lol. I don't remember if I asked why you hoped I was a guy. Really? That author sounds pretty awesome. I'll have to go check them out. Yes, that is my Hunger Games OTP. I loved that line ^.^. I'm sure it would make for sexy times, if he weren't trying to kill everyone. Well, I had sort of finished 14. I had to go back and do some work. And then I had 15 I had to worry about. Writing four stories is hard work._

_RobinsArt: Fail indeed. And now I can harass you whenever I want. I feel like I know that song reference. Some guys that sing something about being ratchet? I know, shocker. Gasp. Nico is purely adorable and sexy. Even while he's impaling you with shadow tentacles._

_myrddin767: One of those is right._

_Veerayne: I'm sure he will be back to normal soon. After he conquers Australia and takes out the kangaroos. Mwhaha. I picture that being said in Christian Bale's attempt at a Batman voice. That's an awesome cave name. I trust you work on your fic while you wait in there?_

_110-percent-crazy: Perhaps. Nico be all like, bitch get off my man._

_Lucy: Good guess. I must have it wait a week :(. I will die of exhaustion if I do not. As stated above, around 20-25 chapters. So, not very many more I guess._

_EnigmaEric: One of those is the correct answer. He went to the circus. Yes, that's where I got the idea for it. Sadly for this fic, you'll only be meeting five of them. Thank you. I give you another chapter to indulge your addiction._

_Happykid44: Mwhaha. Enemy is a strong word. Rival fits better. Also, love is another strong word. Slow pace. Likes Percy. I write for real love, not that high school fake love where they date for a week and they are madly in love. Then they break up and are so devastated. That makes me want to gag. So, Nico likes Percy right now. Will is a mix of like/lust. I'm just not big on throwing around the 'L' word. Yes, but it would still make him happy to see Kronos suffer before he dies. Revenge may not bring back what he lost, but people still do it all the time to try and take away the pain._

_HeyItsAmber: Yes, the god among fanfic authors has spoken. And he hath decreed that there be a new chapter for Seasons Change. Anyways, one of those is correct. I guess I'm good with dark things._

_Cookiemonster: I have hidden all my cookies o.o. Um. Well, he already has started doing stuff. He will do something with his powers on accident this chapter. I'll probably have another fight in the next two or three chapters to let Percy have a moment of glory before the big battle to end it all. I'm glad you like it. I know of it. I looked at the things you said. Not too far off from it, I suppose._

_iPineapplePants: Don't be silly. Nico can never die. Hmm. That fits since that's the title. I already left Narnia. That's where all the gay people are until they come out of the closet. However, when you think about it, why would you want to leave when there are a bunch of gay guys running around in a magical land? Now I feel dumb._

_blackandwhitephotos: I'm sorry :(. But I must keep it at a week to prevent me from breaking myself. One of those is the right one. Yes, I'm sure Nico would want to break Will's neck. Thank you._

_Luckyducky: Perhaps. Mwhaha. Thank you._

_ : First off, awesome name. He's going to kick ass and sell some cookies, and he's all out of cookies. Because Cookiemonster ate them. Should't he? He watched Percy very closely before Percy got pulled into this world. Thank you! That means a lot._

_Awesome older sibling: Lol. You like all the freaky things. Kink. I'm glad you like it. I'm not done with Lou yet. Oh yes. Percy knows exactly what Nico is planning. Not acceptable. Go read it now._

_Make-It-Now: He be cray cray. It's ok._

_Lots of shout outs. Oh yes, I am amazed that you all doubt your guesses. It's like you think I'm tricking you, or something. Now why would I do that? Mwhaha. I will say that in this case, the obvious answer was the correct one. Also, only three reviews away from 100. Pretty awesome. Hmm. Not much else to say, except enjoy the chapter._

_Warning: Expect awesomeness this chapter_

_Disclaimer: I may not own the characters, but I do own the awesome._

Chapter 14

Percy slammed on the breaks as he neared Will's apartment. Percy tossed the car into a parking space and jumped out of the car. He ran up to Will's building, finding the apartment building's door ripped off its hinges. Percy bolted up the stairs, nearly knocking several people over.

Percy slid to a halt when he saw Will's door split in two. Percy peered inside, finding Will's living room normal. He heard a thud from upstairs and a scream. Percy bolted up the stairs to Will's room. Percy walked down the short hall to find Will's door already open. Wasting no time, Percy jogged into the room.

Will was being pressed against the wall, his feet dangling off the floor. Shadowy tentacles had wrapped themselves around Will. Nico stood in front of the blond, hand dangling out in front of him. The dark appearance of Nico had worsened since Percy had last seen him. Nico's body looked like it was about to shatter from all of the cracks on him. Dark mist seemed to be radiating from each of the breaks in his skin. Dark lines had fallen from Nico's eyes, looking like black blood. Nico's skin had turned a ghostly white.

Will's eyes darted to Percy, finally having noticed him. "Percy! What the hell is he? Make him stop!" Will yelled, grasping at a tentacle on his neck. Nico hadn't seemed to notice Percy yet. His only focus was Will. Percy stepped up to Nico and tried to shake the boy.

"Nico? You need to stop this right now! Please. I know you're in there. I can get you some help, you just need to stop and come with me," Percy pleaded.

Nico finally pulled his dark sockets away from Will, turning his head to Percy. "Help? You talk like there's something wrong with me? Am I sick?" Nico hissed.

"Look at yourself, Nico. This isn't you."

"Isn't it? I am finally my true self." Nico stared down at the floor. "I'm not weak anymore, am I Luke?"

"Nico, you were never weak. You've stopped yourself for so many years from becoming like this. You didn't want to be this. You didn't want to become like Kronos or Luke."

The floor around Nico cracked. "Kronos," Nico whispered. "He'll be next. After I'm done with Will."

Percy placed his hands on Nico's shoulders. "Why do you want to kill Will? He hasn't done anything to you. He's defenseless."

Deep cracks ran up the walls. "My parents were defenseless! Kronos murdered them to get to me!" Nico pointed to Will. "As for him, he's the obstacle keeping me from the only thing I've wanted since I made the vow to kill Kronos."

Percy leaned closer to Nico. "Will doesn't have me, Nico. I wanted to talk to you about that after the warehouse battle. Just let him go."

Nico was silent for a moment, staring into Percy's eyes. Then a sharp tentacle shot from Nico's back, it was so solid it tore the fabric of Nico's shirt. Right in the center of Nico's chest was a dark pool of shadow. From it, darkness spread across Nico's body. The sharp tentacle hung over Nico's head like a scorpion's tail. Nico extended a hand out towards Will. "No." The dark tentacle darted towards Will.

"No! Stop!" Percy yelled, his pupils dilating. Nico froze, as did the tentacle. Percy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he was getting the hang of this telepathy thing after all. Suddenly, the tentacle started shaking, inching forward towards Will. Percy's eyes widened as it neared Will's throat. Percy grabbed Nico's head, pressing his forehead to Nico's. "Sleep."

Nico wavered back and forth for a moment, eyes slowly closing. Percy caught Nico as he began to fall over. Percy sighed and laid him on Will's bed. The dark cracks on Nico's body started to disappear. The dark tentacles vanished, freeing Will, who fell to the floor. Will began to cough as he sat up against the wall.

"Wh-What the hell just happened?" Will asked with wide eyes. He was rubbing his neck, which had dark red marks around it. "What the fuck is he? Wh-What are you? You stopped him somehow. How did you do that?"

Percy bit his lip, taking a step back from Nico's sleeping form. "Will, I can explain."

Percy took a step toward Will, but he flinched away. "No, stay away. This isn't possible. This has to be a nightmare. People don't just do the things that just happened."

"Will, you have to listen to me. No one can know about what just happened. You can't tell anyone."

"Tell? I don't even know what I really just saw, Percy. This seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. People don't just do the things that you two did."

"I know you're freaked out right now, but I promise that everything will be alright."

"Alright? He almost tried to kill me!" Will yelled, pointing at Nico.

"Nico is-Nico is complicated. He wasn't thinking clearly."

"You can't seriously be trying to make excuses for him. He's a monster!"

"He is not!" Percy yelled back, causing Will to flinch. The lamp by Will's bed went flying into the wall. "Don't talk about him like that! He's just misunderstood. He can't help it."

"How-" Will started, pointing at the shattered lamp, but he stopped himself. Will pushed himself up, keeping a few feet between him and Percy. "Sounds like your mind is finally made up."

"I-It is. I don't think you'd want me now that you know all of this anyways. We're worlds apart. I need Nico, as he needs me. You and he are just different, and I realized how much he seems to care for me."

Will bit his lip. "Fine. Just-Just get him out of my house be-before I call the cops, or something." Percy nodded. He picked Nico up and walked out the door. On his way down the stairs, Will spoke again. "Percy?."

Percy turned his head to look at Will. "Yea?"

"I just-I need some time to process all of this," Will said, gesturing at Percy and Nico. "To think people can do things like this, it's kind of scary."

Percy nodded. "I understand. I was freaked out at first myself." Percy gave Will a final smile and descended the remaining stairs. Percy left the apartment and headed down the stairs. Once outside, Percy sat Nico in the backseat of the U.N.I.T. car he borrowed. Percy brushed a strand of hair out of Nico's face before closing the door. Climbing into the driver seat, Percy let out a sigh. He turned his head to look back at Nico's still unconscious form before starting the car.

* * *

Percy pulled Nico out of the car, carrying him up the stairs to his parents' lab. The security guard gave him an odd look, standing up. "Is this the one your parents said you were bringing?" the man asked. Percy nodded. The man waved him through. Percy entered the elevator, hitting the button to the lab.

Upon arrival, Percy jogged out of the elevator into the dark lab. The lights flashed on a few moments later. Athena's pedestal lit up and her image appeared. "You're here awfully late," she said, eyeing the boy in Percy's arms. She tapped a finger to her chin. "He's a dangerous one."

"He's unconscious. Dad said they could help. Where are they?" Percy replied.

"It's the dead of night, Percy. He went home a few hours ago. I don't think he expected you to come back this late."

"Where can I put him?"

Athena vanished. Percy spun around when her voice came from behind him. "This should do." She was standing by a large see through door. The lights turned on, revealing an empty white room. Percy walked over and the door opened. He sat Nico down on a bed in the room. He walked back out and the door shut behind him. Athena's eyes lit up. "Nico di Angelo. Age nineteen. From Dallas, Texas. Power over light and darkness. Extremely powerful."

"Do you have access to all of these people?"

"We couldn't work to keep them balanced if we didn't know about them."

Percy glanced back over at Nico. "Can he get out?"

"The room acts by nullifying his powers. Considering the glass is unbreakable by normal means, he'll be secure in there." Percy nodded.

"Is there any hope of helping him?" Percy asked.

"I cannot say. Nico is the only person on the planet with powers like his. There are people who can manipulate light or darkness, but not both. This makes his genetic sequence one of a kind. We have nothing to go off of. We can only guess." Athena gave Percy a sympathetic smile. "I cannot begin to understand the cause of this side-effect. From what you have said, it is impossible to know whether he was born like this, or whether the emotional trauma caused by the death of his family damaged him."

"I just don't want him to risk his mental state like this anymore. He would have killed himself."

"He could not help what he did, nor could he stop it. No matter the cause of this side-effect, the darkness that it brings about is a reflection of the darkness within him."

Percy frowned. "He had a dark pool over his chest when I found him."

"A manifestation of his own darkness. Everyone has darkness within them, but people have their minds to keep themselves in check. I feel that when Nico snaps and his sanity crumbles, the darkness within him seeps out, lashing out at everyone that he views as a threat."

"And since he becomes insane and paranoid, he wants to hurt everyone," Percy finished.

Athena nodded. "Anger is within him, the need for revenge. Kronos took the thing that was most precious to him."

Percy bit his lip. He sighed. He now understood why Nico risked his life for him. Luke wanted to kill him that night, and Nico almost got himself killed in the process of protecting him. "But why did Kronos want him so bad? He couldn't have known about this dark part of Nico."

"No, he couldn't have," Athena responded. "It doesn't change the fact that Nico is an Omega. Even without his berserker state, he is almost on your level. That is the difference between you and him. He was born with these great powers, while your genetics were altered to make you the strongest."

"Would he have been stronger than me?"

"That is hard to say. Your genetic code was originally for telekinesis, but your body seemed to reject its own DNA. When your parents had to alter your sequence, telepathy emerged along with telekinesis. It is very likely that Nico could have been stronger. I would still assume that you would have been classified as an Omega yourself, though."

"So, it was just a fluke?"

"A fluke? No," Athena replied. "You were meant for something great, Percy Jackson. I do not believe it was mere coincidence that you became what you are." Athena looked Percy over. "You look exhausted. Perhaps you should get some rest as well."

"I'm not tired," Percy lied.

A smile appeared on Athena's face. "I could help with that."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "No thanks, I think I'll pass on being drugged." Percy sat down in front of the glass door. "You can go back to screensaver mode, or whatever you call it." Athena rolled her eyes before vanishing. Percy's eyes stayed trained on Nico's sleeping form. His parents had to be able to help Nico. If they couldn't, then Percy would lose Nico forever.

Percy shuddered at the memory of how he had found Nico's body at Will's. His body looked so destroyed. Nico had probably had neared that point Chiron had talked about. The condition Nico left U.N.I.T. in had to have used a lot of Nico's energy.

Percy hadn't been lying when he told Will his mind had been made up. Percy had made his mind up. He realized he wanted Nico. Percy just wanted to see Nico back to his usual self. Nico's current state was tugging at Percy's heart. Percy didn't like seeing Nico this gone. He could have killed himself.

* * *

Percy was awoken a few hours later. He peered up at his mother, who smiled down at him. "How long was I out?" Percy asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Athena said you got here around three in the morning, so about five hours," Sally replied. Percy looked over at the glass door. Nico was awake and sitting on the bed, Poseidon was busy inspecting him. Percy breathed a sigh of relief, noting that Nico looked normal. "You're father's been inspecting him for the past ten minutes, but I think he's alright."

Percy nodded. "Can I go in there?"

Sally tapped her chin. "I don't see why not, just give them some room."

Percy nodded again and walked to the glass door, which opened for him. Poseidon and Nico both looked over at him. Nico gave him a weak smile. "How is he?" Percy asked, taking a seat next to Nico on the bed.

"He seems alright to me," Poseidon replied. "His body is still recovering from the stress that was put on it. I would like to get a cortical scan to get a mental reading. From what you told me last night, he might be in bad shape."

Percy watched as Poseidon inspected Nico's eyes, which were, thankfully, back to normal. Poseidon frowned at the traces of lines across Nico's skin. "That's from when he was insane," Percy said. Poseidon nodded.

"They'll heal in a couple of hours." Poseidon moved Nico's torn shirt to inspect Nico's chest. Percy couldn't help biting his lip at the exposed flesh. Nico glanced over at him. Percy coughed and looked away to hide his blush. "His skin is red where that dark pool was that you told Athena about was." Poseidon looked between Percy and Nico for a moment, noting them shift uncomfortably. "I think I'll give you two a moment to talk. Come and find me when you are done." Percy nodded and Poseidon left.

Nico was the first to break the silence. "You lied to us," Nico said, looking at the wall. "How come you never told us about your parents?"

"What was I supposed to say? I couldn't betray them like that," Percy replied.

"So, you betrayed us?"

Percy shook his head. "No. It's not like that. I didn't even know about them until I ran away."

"But you never told us."

"I couldn't. I-I was scared. It's not like you told me everything. You didn't tell me about the crazy thing until I saw it. You said you had control." Percy looked over at Nico. Nico shot him a frustrated look.

"I do...I did. Luke would have won. I didn't have any choice. Medea took the strength I had, and I couldn't let them get away like that."

"So you let yourself lose control?"

"I snapped ok!"

"Do you remember anything after that?" Nico shook his head. Percy sighed. "You went berserk on U.N.I.T."

Nico chewed his lip. "How bad?"

"A few dead, a lot wounded, and the lower floors were damaged pretty bad."

Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck." He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "Chiron?"

Percy reached over and grabbed Nico's hand. "He's fine. He's just worried about you."

"Of course he is. The man doesn't even care I screwed up." Nico looked down at their joined hands, chewing softly on his lip.

"He cares about you. I care about you." Nico looked up at Percy. "Nico, you almost killed Will."

Nico let his head fall. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Percy scooted closer to Nico and wrapped an arm around the smaller boy. "It's fine. You didn't, that's what matters."

"What happened?"

"I stopped you with telepathy."

Nico looked up at Percy. "You're getting the hang of it then?" Percy nodded. Nico let his head fall onto Percy's shoulder. "I'm sorry," Nico whispered.

"Don't beat yourself up. You weren't in control."

"I should have been, though."

Percy kissed the top of Nico's head. Nico looked up at him. "My parents can help, if you'll let them."

"What do you mean?" Nico asked.

"Just hear them out, alright?" Nico sighed and nodded. Percy hopped off the bed. He helped Nico down, letting their bodies stand close together. Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist and pulled him closer. "I was scared I had lost you forever."

"I'm sorry."

Percy shook his head. "Like I said, don't be. Can I ask you something?"

Nico nodded. "Sure."

"You remember a while back, when you were at my parents' place?" Nico nodded again. "You said you would kill me if I didn't help you guys." Nico bit his lip, looking at the floor. "Would you still do that?"

"No," Nico whispered. "I couldn't."

"What changed?"

"My opinion of you."

Percy cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"You're not like Luke, and I was stupid to ever think that you were. I know you don't want to hurt me. I mean, I'm still scared, I won't lie, but I trust you. I also started really caring about you."

Percy gave Nico a smile before leading them out of the room. Poseidon and Sally were standing near a table. Athena projected herself nearby, activating the machine above the table. The machine descended from the ceiling, hovering a few feet above the table. "We're ready, Percy said."

Everyone turned to look at Percy and Nico. "Good. Nico, if you wouldn't mind lying down," Poseidon said, gesturing to the table.

"What are you going to do?" Nico asked hesitantly.

"We need to have a look at your brain to establish the damage done."

"It's perfectly safe, all you have to do is lie there," Sally said soothingly.

Nico nodded nervously and made his way over to the table. He hopped up on it and lay down. The machine lowered over Nico's head. A monitor beside the table lit up. Percy stepped up to the table, grabbing Nico's hand. A digital keyboard appeared in front of Poseidon, who typed in a few commands.

The monitor began displaying Nico's brain. Several colors filled the image of the brain. Every few seconds, black would explode across the screen, covering the entire brain in darkness. "Not good," Sally mumbled. Percy felt Nico squeeze his hand. Percy rubbed his thumb reassuringly across the back of Nico's hand.

"What's happening?" Percy asked.

"Nico's mental state is in a critical condition," Poseidon answered. "I'm not sure how bad he was before last night, but now he's near his breaking point. The darkness you see is that state of insanity that he was in. He no longer seems to have control over turning it on. Basically, he's a ticking time bomb." Athena shut the monitor off and pulled the machine away from Nico's head. Nico sat up and wrapped his arms around himself, he looked near to tears. Poseidon sighed and stepped up to Nico. "Nico, you need to hear out what I'm about to offer you. If you don't take what I give you, the next time you go into this state of insanity, you won't be coming back."

Nico nodded slowly. "What-What is it?" Nico asked.

"I have some antigen that Sally and I have been working on. If I could get a sample of your blood, I could find the right one."

"Antigen? Am I going to lose my powers?" Nico's fists clenched his pants tightly.

"I cannot say, to be honest. There is a chance that you may lose them, but there is also a chance that it will only remove this state of insanity that your powers push you into. I can tell you that it will restore your mind to a healthy state." Nico didn't answer. He just stared down at the floor. "I won't force you to take it, Nico. I'll let it be your choice. I just want you to think about it." Nico nodded.

"Why don't you head back to U.N.I.T., Percy? Check and see how they are doing," Sally said, giving Percy a small smile. "We need to identify the antigen needed and Nico could use some more rest."

Percy nodded. He looked over at Nico. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?" Percy asked gently. Nico nodded. "Alright, I'll be back shortly." Nico stood up and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck.

"Hurry back," Nico whispered into his ear.

Percy smiled and ran a hand through Nico's dark hair. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here. My parents aren't going to hurt you. I'd never forgive them if they did," Percy whispered back.

* * *

Percy exited the elevator to find several people in the hallway leading to Chiron's office. The people he did recognize were Leo, Jason, Rachel, and Apollo. There were several other men in the hallway, dressed in business suits. Percy approached the small group he did know. "What's going on?" Percy whispered.

"It seems the big people upstairs got wind of what happened last night," Apollo said, sounding irritated.

"They showed up half an hour ago looking for Chiron," Jason added.

"What do they want?" Percy asked.

"We can assume that it isn't anything good."

"They want to remove Chiron from his position at U.N.I.T.," Rachel said.

"What? Why didn't you tell us this already, Rachel?" Apollo asked, pushing off the wall he had been leaning against. He glared down at Rachel, who bit her lip.

"I told Chiron about it before we all went to bed, but he said to keep quiet about it."

"We have to stop it," Percy said, heading for the door.

"Percy, wait!" Leo yelled, but Percy didn't listen. He pushed the door open, causing the office to become silent. Chiron sat in his usual place. Two men Percy didn't recognize sat on the other side of the desk.

"Who is this?" one of the men asked.

Chiron sighed. "This is Percy Jackson," Chiron answered.

The man nodded. "The special one that you told us about." Chiron nodded.

"You can't fire Chiron!" Percy said loudly.

The man stiffened in his chair. "Perhaps I should reconsider-"

"Percy," Chiron warned, tossing Percy a look. "Control yourself. Do not interfere with this."

"But they want to fire you!" Percy reasoned.

"It is not for you to decide. Do not abuse your powers like this, people deserve free will."

"But-"

"No buts."

Percy sighed, dropping his hold over the two men in the room. "Wh-What happened?" the man asked.

"You were letting me go, sir," Chiron supplied.

"Oh yes, I cannot keep Chiron around if he can't keep his own agents under control."

"It wasn't his fault," Percy pleaded.

"You're right, it's Nico's fault. I expect him to be returned so that we may deal with him ourselves." Chiron shook his head while the two men weren't looking.

"No!" Percy yelled. "You can't have him." Chiron's desk slid across the ground, the door behind Percy rattled. The two men eyed Percy cautiously.

The man sighed, standing up. "Then you leave me no choice." He turned back to Chiron. "Chiron, you're fired. I expect you to be cleaned out of here in two days. Zeus here will be taking over for you." Percy finally looked at the other man in the room. He recognized the man from one of the photos in the Omega file. He had shoulder length grey hair and a matching grey beard. Something in the man's piercing blue eyes seemed familiar to Percy. When Zeus stood up, Percy noted that he was very tall, somewhere around six foot six.

"I won't disappoint, sir," Zeus said with a smile. Chiron and Zeus met eyes, a spark seeming to ignite between the two men. Finally, Chiron looked away with a sigh. He pushed away from his desk and walked over to the door where Percy stood. "I think we are done here. Percy, I'd like to talk to you before I go."

"No," Percy said firmly. "If Chiron isn't in charge here anymore, then I don't want to be here either."

Zeus narrowed his eyes. "I'm disappointed to hear that."

Chiron placed a hand on Percy's shoulder and ushered him out of the room. Everyone looked up as they came out of the office. "What happened?" Apollo asked.

"I have been let go," Chiron said with a sad smile.

"No, they can't do that," Jason said defiantly.

"Chiron they need you here. They can't just fire you like this," added Leo.

"I will be fine. Don't worry about me," Chiron reassured them. "Keep an eye on things for me." With a pat on each of their shoulders, Chiron made his way towards the elevator. Percy looked back when the door opened behind him. He noticed Jason tense up beside him. Zeus glanced at Jason for a moment before turning his attention back to the other man he had been with. Apollo tugged on Jason's arm, pulling the blond away. Jason was glaring daggers at Zeus by the time they got into the elevator.

"What was that about?" Percy asked once the doors shut.

"What the hell is he doing here Chiron?" Jason yelled, kicking the door, causing the lights in the elevator to flicker.

"Perhaps you should calm down, Jase," Leo said nervously.

"Would someone mind explaining?" Percy asked again.

"Zeus is Jason's father, Percy," Apollo said, rubbing circles in Jason's back.

"What? I thought your dad didn't want you in U.N.I.T.?"

"That bastard isn't my dad! He and my _mother_ didn't want me or my sister. They gave us up for adoption when I was a baby," Jason spat out, clenching his fists tightly. "He can't take your place, Chiron. I refuse to work here if he's my boss."

"I'm with Jason, the man's a prick," Apollo added. Leo and Rachel nodded in agreement.

"There is nothing I can do," Chiron said, not taking his eyes off of the elevator doors. "Percy, where is Nico?"

"I can't tell you," Percy responded. Chiron finally looked at him with a frown. "I'm sorry, but just know that he's safe." When they reached the bottom, the group followed Chiron outside. "What happens now?"

Chiron looked up at the sky, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I cannot say. This battle is not over, Percy. You must still face Kronos. If you do not, the world will pay the price." Percy nodded. "See to it that you are ready when the time comes."

"We'll fight with him," Apollo said with a smile.

"I might be able to get us some more help," Percy said. "I need a way to get in touch with everyone."

Leo tossed him a phone. "There you go," Leo said. "Untraceable. It has each of our numbers in it."

Percy nodded. "Thanks."

"Keep in touch," Apollo said. "We don't need to wait too long."

Percy nodded again. "I just need to check with some things and I'll contact all of you." Percy looked up at Chiron. "Will you help us?"

Chiron looked down at all of them. He let out a long sigh. "Of course. Leo will need to be extracting all the information that he can before Percy contacts us." Leo nodded. "Get everything you can from the U.N.I.T. databanks. Pull all of our files and then delete their copies."

"You should extract the hard copies first," Rachel pointed out. "They don't know the rest of us have quit. We can sneak around and remove them, and then Leo can do his thing once we are all out."

"Sounds like a plan," Apollo said with a smile.

"Yea," Jason grumbled.

"Don't worry, he'll cheer up." Apollo pulled Jason into a hug.

"We'll have all of this done by the time you call, Percy," Leo said confidently.

* * *

Percy stepped back into the lab to find his parents standing over a table. A small beaker sat in the table's center. "How did it go?" Poseidon asked, not taking his eyes off of the beaker as he dropped some fluid into it.

"They fired Chiron," Percy mumbled as he reached the table. His parents looked up at him in confusion. "Chiron took the blame for everything. They replaced him with a man named Zeus. Several of the others quit, they want to help me fight the Consortium. I could use some more help, though."

Poseidon sighed. "We might be able to lend some support. Athena has some sentinels that she can control from here. We could give you a small army to help you get into Kronos's base of operations." Poseidon picked up the beaker. "Right now, you need to take this to Nico." He handed the beaker to Percy.

"And you don't know what it will do to him?"

Poseidon shook his head. "It is a fifty-fifty chance. There is no guarantee one way or the other."

Percy frowned, but nodded his head. "He won't be happy losing his powers."

"I know, but he's dangerous in his current state."

Percy nodded. "I'll talk to him." Percy walked over to the glass door, walking inside when it opened. "Hey."

"Hey," Nico mumbled back. He was sat on the bed, legs pulled up to his chest. "What happened?"

Percy bit his lip. "Chiron got fired."

Nico gasped. "Wh-What?"

"I'm sorry. They wanted to take you into custody, but Chiron didn't want me to tell them, not that I would have anyways. When I wouldn't tell, Chiron got blamed for everything."

"This is all my fault."

Percy walked over and sat the beaker down on a small table by Nico's bed. "If you want to get better, you need to drink that."

"But what if I lose my powers? I haven't finished what I started yet. Kronos isn't dead," Nico said venomously.

"I'll take care of him for you." Nico stared up him. "Trust me."

"I'm nothing without my powers, Percy." Tears threatened to fall from Nico's eyes. Percy grabbed Nico's hand.

"You'll have me. Am I not enough?"

Nico bit his lip, staring at Percy's hand. "You are. I'd just feel so helpless without them."

Percy leaned forward so he and Nico were face to face. "I don't want to lose you, Nico. I'm scared you won't come back next time."

"Why do you care so much?" Nico whispered.

Percy raised his hands to cup Nico's face. "You don't remember what I said back at Will's do you?" Nico shook his head. "I told you I had wanted to talk to you the night of the warehouse battle."

"About what?" Nico cocked his head to the side.

Percy leaned in closer. "I wanted to tell you that I made my mind up. I really like you, Nico. You're different, and I like that. I want us to be together, Nico." Percy slowly leaned closer to Nico, watching as Nico's eyes darted down to Percy's lips. Percy smiled as he pulled Nico into a kiss.

Percy pressed a hand to the back of Nico's neck, pulling the boy in closer to him. Nico grabbed the front of Percy's shirt. Percy pulled Nico's bottom lip into his mouth, earning a moan from Nico. Percy wrapped Nico's legs around him, running a hand over Nico's left leg. He ran his tongue across Nico's lips, asking for entrance, which Nico gladly permitted. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, pulling him closer. Percy's tongue explored Nico's mouth, while Nico slid his own along Percy's tongue, coaxing him further in.

Finally pulling back for breath, Percy sucked on Nico's bottom lip one final time. Opening his eyes, Percy smiled at the look in Nico's eyes. Nico's eyes were hazed over and he was breathing heavily. Percy gave Nico a small peck before stepping back. He nudged the table closer to Nico. "But we can't be together if you aren't sane, Nico," Percy whispered before leaving the room. Nico stared sadly after Percy. He darted his eyes over to the beaker in front of him. Nico closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He leaned forward and took the beaker in his hand.

_There. They finally kissed. I know you all are squealing with excitement. And what will happen with Nico's choice to take the antigen? Percy has made his choice and wants Nico. Have we seen the last of Will? Also an interesting question Percy asked. Would Nico have been the stronger of the two if his DNA hadn't been altered? Percy probably would have been an Omega regardless, but with the tampering to his DNA, he became the strongest. Nico is a close second, but it the way he is naturally. You got to see more of Nico's insecure side. You met the last Omega that will be featured in Choke, Zeus, Jason's biological father. I'll talk more about his past around chapter 16. And now Chiron has been fired from U.N.I.T. What could this mean for the future of things? Anyways. I'll see you guys next week with the next chapter of Choke._


	15. Chapter 15

_Back once again. I did forget to mention that I was going to be out of town this weekend. In my defense it was a last minute plan that got made on Tuesday, so technically I could have given no warning to you guys. Anyways, excuse any oddness in my posting schedule until I get home. I'm still not sure if this will be 20 or 25 chapters. It might be somewhere in between. I do however know what I'll be doing after I'm finished with Choke. I have a new story idea that I want to get to work on, so it'll be picked up immediately after Choke. I'll have the sequel premiere when I finish Sola Amor, partly to draw out the gap between the stories. On a completely unrelated note, starsandtwinkles17, how the hell did you change your name? Is that even allowed? I know that came from nowhere, but you just popped into my head as I was writing this out and I looked and noticed the name change._

_I got asked the question about my inspiration, and while it was in a review, it is a super long answer. I'll just announce it to everyone. So if you were ever curious, this is the origin of Choke. The original idea sparked from the bar scene from the Matrix where Neo met Trinity. I know, you're all probably wondering how I got from that to all of this. But that was the original idea and you saw it in the first chapter of Choke. The actual plot was originally this: I had a vision of these two groups of people looking for Percy. Percy would meet Nico, and be like an enigma to him. He would never quite be sure if Nico was real or not. The world was originally much different. It was going to be set in a world like the movie Aeon Flux, where the people live in a contained city while the rest of the world has fallen into ruin from a virus. That was going to be the original world. And I wanted there to be something special about Percy for why these people were looking for him. And at the same time, I wanted Nico and his group to be unique people as well. Originally it was going to border more along the concept that they could 'bend' reality to their will. I just had a hard time working a plot out in my head. So Bragi helped me, and it developed into a Marvel like world. I still wanted to keep a sense that the world is a normal world, and these people can do all of this stuff that they do. So, that is a short run through on where I came up with Choke. Shout outs._

_Reining: You were. I suppose that is. Lol. You love insane Nico. Hmm. You might be on to something important there. Well, if he doesn't drink it, he'll either become permanently insane, or he'll destroy himself. Either way, Percy couldn't be with him if he were either. Have no fear, he'll still be badass._

_Morgoth: I'm glad you liked it! Yes, crazy Nico is a total badass. I used to watch that when I was younger, I think. I remember the name Evangelion. It's ok. I'm lazy too._

_Jywy: Lol. I'm hoping you come back even though you told me it was dark. I'm glad you thought it was interesting, though._

_RestlessHeart182: Tough call. Um. He won't be able to go into crazy mode anymore. He'll still be an Omega, have no fear. He will just not be able to keep going past his limits like that berserker mode allowed him to. But now he can use his powers more freely without the risk of going insane. He just can't push as far. It sort of will dampen his powers, but only by a small percentage. He'll still be on Percy's level when Percy becomes his total badass self. Lol. I was too. It took them long enough._

_Luckyducky: I know. About time. They really are. Lol. That he does. I do have lots of plans for him for the rest of this story, as well as the upcoming sequel. Thank you so much!_

_myrddin767: I did! Yes, when he was little his body rejected his DNA, causing his family to have to alter his DNA, making him the perfect Special. Athena is one of my favorite characters in this story. Mainly because I love Cortana in the Halo series. I will confirm they will play a part in the final battle._

_Happykid44: That you were! Haha. So forceful. That would be weird. What a twist. I know :D. Percy will force it down his throat._

_AzucenaXshadows: Haha. That's how it sounded in my head when I wrote it. Yes, even on his insane level, Nico wanted to end the obstacle keeping him from Percy. I did not even think about that when I fired Chiron, but true. They did!_

_DarkLove: Or will they? Mwhaha. They are super cute together. Lol. Thank you for sharing your dance. Yes, 4 is a lot to handle. That is why I'm refusing to start my new story idea until I finish this one. I feel like dying :P. Not literally, but you know. Yes, Zeus will be an important character down the line in this saga. Is it called a saga if it is only 2 fics?_

_RobinsArt: Lol. As I said, if you want him to be crazy while he dates Percy. That and destroy himself. Remember, I said his powers would eventually cause him to destroy himself. That is why he had those cracks on his body. He has more power than his body can handle, see the Dark Phoenix for reference. She has unlimited power, but she often destroys herself using it to extreme levels. The problem with Nico is he can't regenerate his body like the Phoenix. Have no fear, Nico will still be a total badass._

_FireAngel5683: Well, your wait is finally over!_

_Lucy: Did you choke on Choke? Humor. I was gonna have it a few chapters back, but your fellow readers had to demand another Nico and Will scene. Yes, the sequel is being planned out. The basic idea is together, but I'm still working on plot and stuff. Thank you! Well, I put your answer up top for the inspiration that started Choke. As far as where do I come up with my ideas for my other stories and the chapters in them, I really don't know. I don't have a muse or anything. Bragi's whip on my back perhaps. I just sit down and start writing, and things come out. I don't plan my story way in advance, I just write it as I go. Bragi has been super helpful with making sure I write good stories, I really can't thank him enough. I was just very imaginative growing up. I was an only child and I live in the woods. My imagination was my favorite toy. I ran around in the woods pretending I was Legolas from Lord of the Rings and stuff like that. I grew up on Marvel comics and the cartoon shows. Just a large imagination I suppose._

_HeyItsAmber: I figured you would. Lol. Well, it would have been back around chapter 11 if you people hadn't wanted that extra Nico and Will scene. Well, in the process of being established. I'm not sure if I want Percy to actually ask him out, or just have them have an understanding that they are together. I must decline to answer that question._

_LizziDaughterofHades: Sister! Cause we have Son/Daughter of Hades in our names...Anyways. I don't know, I'm actually a pretty dark person, yet cheerful. But I do love Nico._

_ : Too bad we're out of those cookies. I do have pickles, which I made myself. Good job! Stalk is such a strong word. Thank you! I'm sure they enjoyed it too._

_Veerayne: I'm glad that you think so. I'm glad you enjoyed. More insecurity this chapter. Good. Cause I demand that it be worked on._

_Make-It-Now: Don't worry, he's gone forever in this fic. Yes. I'll talk more about Jason in the next chapter probably. Yes, finally!_

_IPineapplePants: Go right ahead. Is that you admitting to being gay, cause if so you just came out of Narnia._

_Awesome older sibling: So I may have almost skipped over your shout out. I wrote all the other stuff really late and there were so many reviews, but then I was going to comment on something from your CoL review and was like...wait...he reviews everything I post so I know there should be one but I have nothing down. Yes, but I asked you to do it before I said I'd reward. Besides you get separate rewards from everyone else. Nerf? I'm not WoW. I do not nerf things simply because things are too hard for players. Yes, it is a lie. Yes, just a little bit. Which is also a good way of showing that even given his personality, he's still a complete bottom. Like someone else I know. I do love Athena. Meh. I'm just old fashioned. That word gets tossed around too easy now a days. Using it so easily just loses its meaning._

_Jesus Christ. I feel there might come a day that I only start doing shout outs that are for detailed reviews. There are a lot of them now. Not complaining, I actually love it. More people should review. It would be like Christmas came early. Before we start the story, I have something to say. While it is going to be put next on my write list, before anyone asks, I really can't post an extra chapter this week. Why? Because chapter 16 hasn't been written yet. I'm capable of writing really fast, but I've been slacking I guess recently. That and the stories have started wearing me down. Bragi wants me to take a small hiatus, but I love posting new chapters too much. But yes, I will be working on the next chapter as soon as I get back from my weekend. So don't expect anything at the end saying, next week in Choke... Cause there won't be anything like that. I've just ended up being pretty busy I guess lately. Been taking a lot of trips out of town, and that's really slowed down my writing. Then there are days I just don't want to write. But I promise 16 will be done before next Sunday._

_Also before we begin, I have a request. Hopefully the author doesn't see this to see that I'm playing dirty :P. Well, if he/she does, then they can see that I'm dedicated to this cause. Anyways, I want you all of you to go read Oceans and Underworlds by acirejacksonmellark57. After you read it, I want you to post a review including the fact that Percy should be the top. Before you say I shouldn't try to force an author to do what I want, you should understand something. They said they were going to leave it up to the reviewers, so that is why I ask this. Do this for me and you shall be rewarded. I'll keep an eye on who does it and take one-shot requests from everyone who does it, or something. I'm finding the story interesting, I just want to see Percy come out on top, pun intended. I posted a long review stating why I think Percy is the top, which can be found on their reviews. I don't put them in their positions just because I want them there, I put them there because it makes sense. It makes sense to me as a psychology major and as a gay guy, no offense to girls(because I know there are a lot of you reading this probably), but there really is no arguing with a gay guy when it comes to gay sex. It's sort of easy to identify which guy fits the bill for a top and which the bottom. Anyways, go review that. I realize I'm using my powers for evil, but it is a good cause. Is it wrong of me to use my fans in such a way?_

_Warning: Today we are going to draw the Queen of England, jumping out of a helicopter, cause that was badass. I'm aware it wasn't really her, but I can dream._

_Disclaimer: I may need to get a haircut before I am able to put my hair in a ponytail...dammit I already can. Again, reminder that I'm a guy._

Chapter 15

Nico held the antigen in his hand, staring at the green liquid inside the beaker. He looked at Percy's form outside the room as he stood with his back to Nico. If he did this and lost his powers, he would no longer have a purpose. Everything he had been fighting for the past few years would go down the drain. He had been content with destroying himself just to kill Kronos. Then Percy had had to come along.

How could one boy change his life so much? Ever since Luke, Nico hadn't felt the need for the affection of others. Now Nico craved Percy's attention. Nico had told himself he would never let himself fall for another guy, but here he was, wanting Percy. He was willing to risk his powers so they could be together.

Nico looked back at the beaker, popping the cork out of the top. Percy was worth the risk, he told himself. He opened his mouth, screwing his eyes shut, and drank the green antigen. Immediately, he began coughing.

Percy spun back around upon hearing Nico's coughs. "What's happening?" Percy asked as he and his parents went into Nico's room.

"There was a small chance that he would have an adverse reaction to this," Poseidon informed him.

Percy clutched Nico's face. "Nico? Are you alright?"

Nico's head started to droop. A chill ran down Percy's spine as he felt the warmth leave Nico's body. "Percy, I don't feel so good," Nico mumbled, collapsing on the bed.

"Nico!"

"Shit, Sally, get me an IV," Poseidon ordered. Sally nodded and ran out of the room.

"Nico, you have to stay with me," Percy whispered to Nico, caressing the boy's face. "You're gonna be alright."

Sally ran back into the room with an IV, which she hooked up to Nico. Athena projected herself into the room. "Athena what's the problem?" Poseidon asked, taking Nico's pulse.

"His body is having an adverse reaction to the antigen. It's rejecting it. Try getting him to relax," Athena advised.

Percy nodded. He held onto Nico's face. "Nico, I need you to calm down," he said. Nico just groaned and let his eyes shut. Percy shook his shoulders. "Nico, please."

"You can use your telepathy," Athena informed him.

"But I-I feel like that's invading his privacy."

"We need him to calm down, Percy," warned Sally.

Percy bit his lip and nodded. He looked back at Nico. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He leaned over Nico and pushed into the boy's head.

* * *

Nico was younger, around fourteen. He sat on a swing in the backyard of a house. A younger Luke stood behind Nico, gently pushing the boy from time to time. A raven in a tree had caught Nico's eye. He watched the bird with much fascination as it cawed on its branch.

When Nico stopped swinging, Luke rested his chin on Nico's head. "What you looking at?" Luke asked.

Nico pointed up at the bird. "That bird is watching me," Nico said with a frown.

"I don't think it's very interested in you." He felt Luke's arms wrap around him.

"It's been there for hours."

Luke sighed. "I'm sure it's nothing." Luke released Nico and sat in the swing beside him. "Do you want to talk about it yet?" Nico shook his head. "Nico, you're going to have to tell me eventually. I know it was traumatic, but everyone is just curious at how you made it out of there."

"I told you, I don't know." Nico stared down at the ground, chewing on his lip.

"My parents want to know. That man keeps showing up looking for you, Nico. Can't you at least tell us who he is?" Luke asked.

Nico looked up at Luke with wide eyes. "They aren't going to let him see me, are they?" Luke shook his head. "I don't know how, but he did it."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Did what, Nico?"

"Killed my parents."

"The police report said they careened off a cliff."

Nico waved his arms wildly. "Because there were rocks all over the road! He put them there somehow to make my parents wreck."

"That still doesn't explain how you got out."

Nico bit his lip. "I-If I show you something, do you promise not to freak out?"

Luke looked at Nico with concern. "Of course, Nico," Luke said, nodding his head. Nico sighed and held out his hand. The metal of the swing creaked as shadows pulled up from the ground to form in Nico's hand. Luke's eyes widened. "Ni-Nico, how did you do that?"

"I don't know," Nico whispered. He opened his hand, releasing the shadows. "Please don't tell."

Luke grabbed Nico's hand. "I'm not going to tell anyone, Nico."

"If I'm a burden, I don't have to stay here."

Luke smiled at Nico. "Nico, you're not a burden."

* * *

Percy gasped and fell backwards, into the wall. He glanced up, sighing in relief when he saw that Nico seemed better. "How long was I in there?" Percy asked.

"About fifteen minutes," Poseidon informed him, looking at his watch. "He seems to be alright now."

"He should wake up in a few minutes," Athena reassured Percy. Percy nodded. Poseidon's phone went off. He flipped it open and stepped out of the room.

Percy arched an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Sally looked behind her at Poseidon. "We called in for some...assistance while you were at U.N.I.T.," Sally told him.

Percy gave her an odd look, but she didn't answer. He picked himself off of the ground and sat next to Nico on the bed. Percy reached over and grabbed Nico's hand. Nico gave his hand a squeeze, putting a small smile on his face. "Percy," Nico whispered.

"Hmm?" Percy asked, leaning in.

"Stay out of my head." Nico rolled over, facing his back to Percy. Percy let out a chuckle and stood back up. He and his mother left the room.

Percy looked up as he walked out of the door, stopping in his tracks. "Annabeth? Grover? What are you guys doing here?"

Poseidon, Grover, and Annabeth all looked in his direction. "We called them," said Poseidon.

"What have you told them?"

"Everything." Percy stared at his father in shock.

"I still think you all are delusional," Annabeth said. She looked over at Percy. "He says there are people with superpowers, and that you are one of them."

Percy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yea, about that," Percy mumbled.

"You guys can't be serious," Grover said.

Poseidon pointed at Percy. "Percy, a demonstration," Poseidon ordered. Percy sighed and focused on a chair nearby. The chair shot off the ground and Percy spun it around in the air as it circled around the room. Annabeth and Grover's eyes widened.

"Holy sh-" Annabeth started.

"Dude, that's so cool!" Grover exclaimed.

"Well, they are taking it better than we thought they would," Sally said with a smile.

* * *

After giving Annabeth and Grover a detailed rundown of Specials and the organizations, they all sat in the lab in silence. Grover had yet to take his eyes off of Percy, which were widened to the size of saucers. Annabeth sat next to him, rubbing her head in frustration. "So let me get this straight. Percy needs to fight this Kronos guy, or the world could possibly fall into a state of vast corruption," Annabeth summarized.

"And I can't count on U.N.I.T. to help me anymore," added Percy.

"We have some sentinels that Athena can assist with, but we felt that we could use couple extra pairs of hands durring this operation," Poseidon said, looking between Annabeth and Grover.

"You want us to help you fight people with superpowers?" Annabeth exclaimed.

"You'll be protected here in the lab the entire time," Athena reassured her.

"We are actually working on a new project," Sally said, standing up. "Athena, if you would?" Athena brought up a holographic image of body armor. "This is a battle suit we are working on. It is made to be able to combat most off the Specials, taking into account all powers that are on file."

Poseidon stood up. "Our only obstacles are these Omegas, the suit cannot hold enough power to combat them effectively," he added. "The suit could give them a run for their money, I have faith in that, but they are called Omega for a reason."

"On the bright side, there is only one Omega in the Consortium, and that is Kronos," Athena said cheerfully.

"And he is Percy's responsibility to take down."

"I feel such comfort knowing the fate of the world rests on Percy's shoulders," Annabeth said sarcastically.

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed, pouting at Annabeth. "I can handle K-" Percy stopped talking when the door to Nico's room opened. Nico stood in the doorway, once again looking full of life. Percy let out a sigh of relief. He was about to go hug Nico when he noticed the fearful look on Nico's face. "Nico, what's the matter?"

Nico's eyes darted to Percy, inching forward until Percy he was next to Percy. "I can't use my powers," Nico mumbled.

Percy gaped at Nico for a moment before turning his attention to his parents. He gave his father a pleading look. Poseidon let out a sigh and ran a hand across his chin. "We said it was a possible side-effect," Poseidon reminded him.

Percy pulled Nico to his chest as the boy looked distraught. "It'll be ok, Nico," Percy whispered in Nico's ear. He looked up at the others. "I'm gonna take him back to his room for a minute." Poseidon nodded and Percy led Nico back to his room. He sat Nico on the bed and stared at the glass door. Stupid lack of privacy, he thought. He slid the door back open and poked his head out. "I don't suppose this thing has a privacy setting does it?"

Everyone raised an eyebrow at Percy. "Do we need to have you leave the door open?" Sally asked.

"Not like that!"

Athena chuckled. "Here, let me," she said. The glass whited out so that it was no longer transparent. Percy smiled and thanked her before shutting the door again.

Percy sat beside Nico on the bed, letting the boy rest his head on Percy's shoulder. "You're gonna be ok, Nico."

Nico looked up at Percy as the green eyed boy brushed some of his bangs out of his face. "That's easy for you to say, you still have your powers," Nico mumbled.

"Hey, I got by just fine my whole life without powers. Plus you still have me."

Nico rolled his eyes. "That's so comforting."

Percy smiled at Nico. He rested his head on top of Nico's. "Yet, it was enough to get you to take the antigen."

"And look where that got me, powerless and stuck with you."

Percy frowned until he saw the smile on Nico's lips. "In all seriousness, are you going to be ok?" Percy asked.

Nico shrugged. "I don't know, Percy. I can still fight, but I relied a lot on my powers." A look of horror spread across Nico's face. "Oh god, now I have to walk everywhere!"

Percy laughed and lay back on the bed. He pulled Nico on top of him and the dark haired boy rested his head on Percy's chest. "You know I'll take care of you, right?"

Nico frowned. "I've never needed protecting before."

Percy brushed some of the hair from Nico's eyes. He pulled Nico down for a quick kiss. Nico hovered over him for a while after they broke apart. "Nico?"

"Hmm?

"What happened between you and Luke? How did it get from that moment at his house to the night on the roof?"

Nico rolled off of Percy, propping himself up on his elbow. He ran a hand through Percy's hair as he seemed to reminisce on something. "It was a series of events," Nico began. "He first developed his powers about two months after the memory you saw. After that, he thought he could protect me. He was stupid. Kronos showed up at his house one day while his parents and I were out. Luke decided to hear what he had to say."

"Why didn't he just punch him? Luke is strong."

"Kronos would have blown up the house. Though, we didn't know that at the time. I just had warned Luke to be cautious of him."

"What happened?"

Nico let out a long sigh. "Kronos convinced Luke that it was in my best interest that he hand me over. He said that with my help, he could make the world a safer place for people like us. Kronos said that people would one day find out about us, and when that day came, we would be treated no different than the people of the Holocaust. He said we would be butchered in our homes, treated like experiments, and hunted like animals."

"Not to sound like Luke or Kronos, but I could see why that would scare him," said Percy.

Nico nodded. "I know. Honestly, I've thought about it a lot since Luke told me. I do fear that people would treat us like that if they knew. It's why I'm glad that the U.N. wants to keep us secret."

"Anyways, what happened after that?"

"Luke told me what Kronos had said. He told me that he wanted me to run away with him, that we should go help Kronos."

"Even after he killed your parents?"

"Kronos fed him a bunch of bullshit. Saying that it was for my own good and that he didn't mean for them to die. I didn't stick around, though. The look in Luke's eyes had started to change. He started looking at people like he was better than them because of what he was, even his own parents. I watched him for a while after that. I think Kronos had kept in contact with him, maybe thinking that Luke was his best bet for getting to me. Luke just slowly morphed into this person that I didn't even recognize anymore." Nico let out a sigh. "The roof incident happened shortly after that, and you know what happened from there."

"So, if Kronos wanted your power so bad, why did he stop trying to get you?"

"Who says he ever stopped? He would jump at getting another Omega on his side. Honestly, I don't think they have the file on all of the Omegas like U.N.I.T. does. If he did, I think he would have been going after them, but he hasn't."

"But he seemed to shift his focus at some point."

Nico bit his lip. "That's when we found out about you, or rather, the point in time where we knew you would make a difference. We searched for about two years for you."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I found out why you guys couldn't find me."

"Really? Why?"

"Some medication my parents had me put on. They said it was for depression, but it was a suppressant for my powers."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Makes sense. Remind me to never get on your parents bad side."

Percy chuckled. He sat up and pulled Nico into his lap. "I think I've distracted you well enough."

Nico buried his head into the crook of Percy's neck. "Yes, and you played dirty. Do you have any idea what is going to happen with Chiron and the others?"

"Jason, Leo, Apollo, and Rachel are going to work on getting a bunch of files out, after that, Leo is going to pull all of their digital copies so that U.N.I.T. won't have any data on us or the Omegas."

"And Chiron? What are they going to do after they get the files out?"

"Leo said he was going to call me," Percy answered. "I thought about asking them to come here, but I need to ask my parents first."

"Well go ask them."

Percy rolled his eyes and pushed Nico out of his lap. He hopped off the bed and exited the room, with Nico following behind him. Everyone looked over at them as they approached, Annabeth and Grover had seemed to have calmed down. "Mom? Dad? I had an idea that I'd like to run by you guys."

"Alright, what is it?" Poseidon asked.

"Well, Chiron and the others quit U.N.I.T., and they are still planning on helping me. I was kind of wondering if we could bring them here and work together?" Percy asked nervously.

Poseidon and Sally looked at each other. They both shrugged their shoulders. Percy smiled to himself. "I don't see why not," Poseidon said. "We could use all the help we could get, and something tells me that U.N.I.T. isn't going to be doing as good of a job with Chiron gone."

"Great!" Percy exclaimed. "Let me call about that now, actually." Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone Leo gave him. He went through the contacts and dialed Leo's number. "Remind me to merge my contacts with this phone," Percy mumbled to himself.

It rang a few times before Leo finally picked up. "Percy? What's up?" Leo asked. Percy could make out whispers in the background. There was a sound of something banging against metal, followed by a muffled yelp from Jason.

"I was wondering how things were going," Percy replied.

Leo whispered some things to the people in the room with him before returning to Percy. "We're almost done here. We were going to drop it all off with Chiron. Why?"

"I have a better idea. I'll call Chiron and have him meet us at the location I'm going to send you shortly. Make sure you're not followed." Percy hung up the phone and opened up a text message, sending the address to Leo. He turned back to his parents, who were looking Nico over. "What's up?"

"We were just inspecting Nico," Poseidon replied. "I think we're going to do another cortical scan."

* * *

Two cars pulled up outside the lab. Chiron stepped out of one, while Leo, Apollo, Jason, Rachel, and Lou stepped out of the other. Percy eyed Lou as the group approached. "She wanted to help," Leo explained. Percy nodded.

"So, what is this place?" Apollo asked, looking up at the building.

"That's sort of complicated. I'd prefer to talk about it inside," answered Percy.

"Is this where Nico is?" asked Chiron.

Percy nodded. "He's downstairs. He's...well, he's ok, I suppose."

"That doesn't seem to be reassuring," said Jason.

"There's been a slight complication with his powers."

"What do you mean?" asked Chiron.

"He doesn't have them anymore." Everyone stared at Percy in shock. "We gave him an antigen to help with the insanity, but it had a slight side-effect."

"Is he alright?" Lou asked.

"He's taking it better than I expected him to. My parents are examining him now. They want to do a cortical scan, just to make sure."

"Your parents?" asked Chiron, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long story," Percy said exasperatedly. "I think we should go downstairs." Everyone nodded. They followed Percy back into the building. The guard waved them through and they boarded the elevator.

"What is this place, Percy?"

"My parents have a secret lab, and they've sort of been monitoring the situation between U.N.I.T. and the Consortium for a while now."

"And you didn't tell us about this, because?" Apollo asked, crossing his arms.

Percy was saved by the doors opening. Everyone gaped at the lab. "Awesome," whispered Rachel. The group walked into the room, immediately spotting Nico on the examination table.

"Nico!" yelled Jason. Nico gave them a small smile and a wave.

Chiron stepped up to the table and placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. He turned his gaze to Percy's parents. "I do not believe we have met. I am Chiron," he said, extending his hand to Poseidon, who shook it.

"We have heard a lot about you, Chiron, and we are glad to have you on board," Poseidon said with a smile.

"I hear you have been keeping tabs on us."

Poseidon chuckled. "Just precautionary, I assure you."

"If I may ask, how did you manage hacking into our databases?"

Poseidon gestured to Athena's platform which lit up and the A.I. appeared above it. "Her name is Athena, and she is the best A.I. the world has ever seen. Sally and I built her ourself."

Chiron and the others huddled around Athena. "Fascinating," Chiron proclaimed. "I would like to see how she works."

"We can give you a little example. Athena, if you wouldn't mind registering each of them."

Athena nodded and her eyes lit up. Chiron Shriver. Age: Forty-two. Originated from a Bethel, Maine. Power: Selective Kinetic Dispersion, or Forcefields. Omega class. Apollo Summers. Age: Twenty-one. Originated from Los Angeles, California. Power: Pyrokinesis. Jason Grace. Age: Nineteen. Originated from San Diego, California. Power: Electricity. Lou Ellen. Age: Twenty. Originated from Richmond, Virginia. Power: Location. Rachel Dare-"

Rachel cut her off. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. It's either just Rachel or my full name."

Athena blinked at her a moment. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Age: Nineteen. Originated from New York, New York. Power: Precognition. Leo Valdez. Age: Eighteen. Originated from Miami, Florida. Power: Technopathy."

"This is so cool," Leo said, poking at Athena's image.

Athena just sighed. "Must everyone poke me?"

"So, what's going on with Nico?" Jason asked, turning to look at the boy in question.

"He may have lost his powers," Sally said. "We just want to make sure. We are going to do a full scan."

"Hopefully he hasn't," Chiron said, stepping back over to Nico. "We could use him in the fight."

"Well, if he did manage to somehow keep his powers, he won't be going crazy anymore," Poseidon stated. "He would still be an Omega, just having lost a small portion of his powers."

Chiron nodded. "That would be a bit of a relief." He looked down at Nico. "Let us hope for the best in this then."

Percy walked over to Nico and Nico grabbed his hand. Percy pulled it up and kissed it. Jason, Leo, and Apollo raised an eyebrow. "And when did this happen?" asked Jason, waving his hands in the air.

Percy chuckled and Nico smirked. "Not that long ago," Percy answered.

"Long overdue," mumbled Rachel. Nico shot her a dirty look.

"Now then, let us begin with the scan," Poseidon stated, stepping up to the examination table. Athena lowered the machine over Nico's head, a secondary machine with a long needle coming down to take a blood sample. Nico squeezed Percy's hand and let out a breath.

"No matter what happens, everything's going to be ok," Percy whispered. Nico nodded his head, but bit his lip.

The monitor by the table lit up, displaying Nico's DNA sequence next to cross sections of what seemed to be his brain. Sally and Poseidon mumbled a few things quietly. Poseidon pointed to a few places on the monitor. "Well?" Nico asked, trying not to sound impatient.

The machine rose back to the ceiling and Nico sat up. Poseidon turned to face the group, a serious look on his face. Nico pursed his lips and squeezed Percy's hand tighter. "Your powers should be returning soon," Poseidon informed them.

_You can all breath a sigh of relief. Nico still has his powers. However, don't think you're done seeing the crazy Nico. I might not show anything about it in Choke again, but I do have something planned for the future. Since it's obvious, it will be a memory that Percy will see. The idea just hit me the other day and I liked it. The problem was that it wouldn't fit in Choke anywhere, not to mention that I already took away Nico's craziness. Actually, I'm not sure when it will be. It might be at the end of this fic, if not, it'll be in the sequel. You got another look into Nico's past, and you saw what Luke was like before he went to work for Kronos. Now Annabeth and Grover are involved. And Chiron, Jason, and the others are now partnering with Percy's parents. The group has formed, and the end is now coming into sight. The clash of the two big titans is on the horizon. Percy vs Kronos, in a showdown that could completely destroy New York City. I'll probably have one more battle before the final one, just to show that Percy has grown in his powers again. He's reaching that final point right before he becomes the most powerful Special that he was crafted to be. I already have that moment where he 'ascends' to power envisioned in my head. Anyways. I'll see you guys next time._


	16. Chapter 16

_As promised, I got the next chapter done on time. I also managed to write the next chapter in the past week. Pimp. No offense to guest reviewers, I love you, but it sucks when I cannot message you to reply to a review. I have to wait an entire week. Just to say something I wrote was not a grammatical error, I meant to type it like that. Le sigh. I went back over the entire story, looking for any loose ends I haven't wrapped up yet, and I was pleased to find that I could not find any. I mean, if there is one that you know of, feel free to point it out. Unless it's a recent chapter, then I just haven't come around to addressing it._

_Now let's talk about important stuff. Choke has an end date. It should be ending next month, estimating September 16th, give or take a chapter. Bragi and I ran it over, and it'll end with about 20 chapters, 21 if you count the epilogue. I know, you're all sad, but Choke has run on a basic plot line, with a few minor ones. The sequel is complex, meaning it will last longer due to more plot lines. I can also tell you that I mentioned the sequel in at least two chapters of Choke, three including one of the plot lines. I have the rest of the story pretty much entirely planned out, I know how it will end. The ending is big, possibly shocking, and will be great. Anyways, let's do shout outs._

_Lucy: Thank you! I'd never make Nico normal. What fun would that be? It was fine, I enjoy writing, and I like to ramble._

_AzucenaXshadows: Lol. That's my job, to pump you up. I'm glad you thought so. I'd never be so cruel, but I did want to make you wonder._

_Guest: Haha. Thank you. I liked that line as well, to give a sense of hopelessness._

_Luckyducky: I would never. No, no they will not. Well, they do fight them at the end of the chapter, with a surprise guest._

_iPineapplePants: No issue with me. I'm gay, you can be gay, let's all be gay together. A knack for what?_

_HeyItsAmber: You seem to have a lot of breathing issues with my chapters lately, I wonder why that is. He will always be a badass. Pfft. Nico will never be overly sub. I know that Nico from the books is a dominate bottom, though I feel that a lot of fangirls may not understand that concept. Nope. I try to stay as close to their characters as possible._

_DrunkOnCookies: That's what I say when I eat cookies. Well, without the update part. I feel like I addressed this saying just a few days ago...now I must go look at my other reviews. Oh yes, CoL. How could I forget?_

_Veerayne: I'd never be so cruel. I'm a trickster. That would be no fun. I just made him mentally stable. Well, let me know what you think of them after this chapter._

_Reining: Oh, that was just the idea. The name just came from a song. I just couldn't think of an actual name, so I went with that song, which actually fit pretty well with the theme that was playing in my head. Yes, well he had to go away forever. Besides the one more time I have planned, using a memory. See, I'm just the opposite. I was raised Marvel. DC is fine, but I only really like Batman. Superman is just too...perfect for me. I guess that's the word. Batman is just more appealing to me. I just picture him with shaggy hair, not necessarily that long, but hanging into his eyes. Haha. Well, it sadly is not in my plan to bring it back into the present, only flashbacks. If Nico got stuck in that, he wouldn't be a very good boyfriend, and he'd probably kill himself. Since I'm sure you don't want that, I must refrain from having Nico insane anymore._

_DarkLove: Apparently everyone did. I figured everyone would squeal with excitement. That's like the nicest review I might have gotten. Someone wanting to be like me. Well then it shall be a saga._

_FireAngel5683: Hmm. Interesting idea, we'll see. Perhaps I might make a prequel in the future. From Nico's POV. From before he gains his power, the death of his parents, his fallout with Luke, and his journey through U.N.I.T. I could lead it up to when he gets the assignment for Percy. Oh damn. I just got an idea. Thanks for that. But I'll have to think that one over._

_RobinsArt: It's witchcraft. I'm sure Percy and Nico can handle them. Good job, and we did prevail._

_Make-It-Now: I know, right? It sort of seems like just yesterday I started, but in reality it was several months ago._

_Happykid44: Or is he? No, he's ok. I'm sorry T.T. I wrote it as fast as I could, but I don't want to run out of buffer. That's the purpose of my other stories. To help ease the pain of waiting an entire week, everyone should go read all my stuff so they don't have to wait so long. If by good you mean try to rape Nico, sure. Actually I haven't decided that part yet._

_Awesome older sibling: Perhaps it's the fact that they are interrupting her transmission. Yes, I have plans for her. Lol. No. It's just a scan. All he has to do is lie there and a beam of light runs over his body. Damn if I know. I haven't designed the suits yet. I felt the same when they killed my Druid's tree form. Yes, Jesus reads my fics. He has blessed them and that's why they are doing so well now. Lol. I can just picture Athena videotaping it. Yea, I guess that was a bit of a stretch, but I had to work the time frame._

_LizziDaughterofHades: I'd never do it. Well, besides one more memory of it, but that's it. I always aim to please._

_Dear god. No Awesome older sibling, I am not writing a review to God. So many people were worried I was going to take away Nico's powers. Nico. My favorite character in the books. Don't make me laugh. It feels so weird writing Choke now, knowing that things are soon to end. End until the sequel anyways. I have a lot to cover in the last few chapters. A lot of interesting things. So I tried to look at Dragon Age fanfiction yesterday, cause I had a desire to read slash stories of Morrigan's child and some guy, sadly the child is not an optional character on this site. Not much else to say I guess, on with the chapter._

_Warning:_

_Disclaimer: Warning was written in invisible ink to hide the massive spoiler that I put there._

Chapter 16

Percy stood in a training room that his parents had shown him. Apparently, they used it to test their weaponry, but they also thought it would help him hone his powers. A few days had passed since the antigen had been administered, and Nico's powers were slowly starting to return to him. Nico was frustrated by the fact that his powers would work one moment and wouldn't the next. Percy's parents said it could take up to two weeks for his powers to recover. Percy raised his hand to block a blast from one of his parents' sentinels. The blast erupted against the forcefield he had raised. He glanced over at Nico, who sat against a wall, watching Percy practice.

"You're getting pretty good," Nico called over to him, Percy grinned back at him. "You're going to need to keep working on that if you're going to fight Kronos. You have to make sure you can shield yourself from one of his explosions."

Percy nodded. "I'm trying. It just takes a lot of concentration," Percy responded. Nico smiled at him. "I figured this would be easier for me. Aren't we supposed to be Omegas?"

Nico laughed and stood up. He walked up behind Percy and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. "It doesn't mean you're going to obliterate everything in the blink of an eye. It just means you have a bit more power than the others. You have to master your abilities all the same." Percy turned around and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist.

"I don't know, I just thought it might come naturally, or something."

Nico chuckled and placed a kiss on the corner of Percy's mouth before moving away from Percy. "Nope. You can't have the power that comes with being an Omega if you don't work at it. It's like working your muscles. You go to the gym and lift weights to make them stronger. You need to keep working on this to become stronger," Nico explained. Percy waved at him as he headed for the door and left Percy to train some more.

Percy sighed and went back to practicing. Chiron told him this would be the best way to prepare for a fight with Kronos. Percy was not sure when he would be forced to fight the man, but he had the feeling that it would be soon. He telekinetically raised the difficulty level yet again on the practice sentinel. He had continued to raise it whenever he became comfortable with being able to block the robot's attack. He needed to keep pushing himself. He needed to get better if he was going to do this.

After another hour of practicing, Percy shut the sentinel down and walked over to grab his towel. He was covered in sweat, but did not feel like quitting just yet. He bent over and picked up a bottle of blue powerade he had brought down with him, taking a long drink from it. He slung his towel over his shoulder and made his way over to a punching bag he had hung in the corner. He needed to perfect his body and mind if he was going to do this. Chiron had said he could probably combine his telekinesis with the fighting styles that Percy already knew, perhaps giving him an advantage.

Percy threw a few jabs at the punching bag, trying to focus his energy on his fist. Perhaps if he could put some telekinetic force behind his physical assaults, it could play to his advantage. Concentrating, Percy threw another punch. The bag swung backwards and Percy held it in the air. He could pull off a combo like this. Attack, powers, and attack again while they are defenseless. He threw a kick through the air, cutting the bag. Percy smiled to himself. He could focus his telekinesis to help him if he missed too. He figured he could manage to create several methods of combining his powers and combat styles. His telepathy could probably help him as well. He could always force the person to stand still while he attacked, but that would take a bit of concentration.

The doors swung open and Jason entered the training room. He tossed Percy a wave as he made his way over to the taller boy. "You've been down here a while," Jason remarked, setting his own water bottle and towel down on the ground next to Percy's.

Percy shrugged. "I need to be stronger. We can't afford to lose," Percy mumbled, taking another swing at the punching bag.

Jason patted Percy on the back as he went over to another punching bag. "Nico really appreciates what you're doing." Percy stopped punching to look at Jason. "He probably won't admit it, but he's glad you're doing this. I think he knows he won't be able to fight Kronos now, but he takes comfort in the fact that you will fight Kronos in his place."

"He killed Nico's parents, he deserves to die."

Jason nodded. "Just don't fall into darkness like Nico did. He became obsessed. He'll still fight Luke, I have no doubt about that."

"Will Nico kill him?"

Jason pursed his lips. "I don't know," Jason said exasperatedly. "Nico's hard to predict sometimes. Nico hates Luke now, but given their history, I don't know for sure. Would it matter to you if he did?"

Percy shook his head. "No, at least, I don't think so. I could understand if he did, if he felt it was something he had to do. I could never see Nico as a monster, if that's what you're asking."

"It's not. I was just checking, because it is a very likely possibility. Just like you'll likely have to kill Kronos."

Percy chewed on his lip and stared down at the floor. The thought had crossed his mind, but now it just seemed real. The time was close, and Percy did not even know if he was ready. "I'll do what I have to do."

"Kronos is a man that doesn't deserve mercy, Percy. He is an evil man. He's caused the suffering of thousands, if not millions, of people. He would kill you without hesitation or a second thought. You have to be able to do what has to be done when the time comes."

Percy let out a long sigh. "I know. I'm trying, but I'm not sure if someone can actually prepare themselves for something like this."

Jason clapped Percy on the shoulder, offering him a small smile. "I think you'll be ready when the time comes. Try talking to Nico, he was ready to do what had to be done, and that's why Chiron was so eager to find you."

"Because Nico was going to kill himself," Percy mumbled.

"Yea," Jason replied, nodding his head.

Percy glanced over at Jason, who had gone back to swinging wildly at his punching bag. Every now and then, Jason's punches would leave scorch marks from where electricity would shoot out of Jason's fists. "Jason?"

Jason stopped punching the bag and looked back at Percy. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you about Zeus?"

Jason huffed and rubbed at his knuckles. Sparks flew across his eyes as his eyes darkened at Percy. "He's not one of my favorite topics."

"I just wanted to know about your past. You talked about your home life before you joined U.N.I.T., and I just wanted to understand things better."

Jason sighed, looking resigned. He nodded his head slowly and picked up his water bottle, taking a long drink. "Zeus's job was just more important than his family. He gave me away shortly after I was born. My foster dad is actually a really great guy." Jason looked down at the floor. "It wasn't bad living with him until he married. The woman hated me. She called me a monster and a freak when my powers emerged. My dad didn't care, though. He said he would love me no matter what I was. It just became too much, though. So when Chiron came to find me, I knew I had to leave."

"Did you always know Zeus was your father?"

Jason shook his head. "No. I didn't find that out until I got to U.N.I.T. My dad had told me I was adopted, but he refused to talk about my biological father. Now that I know who it is, I'm glad he didn't want to tell me." Jason looked back up at Percy. "I have a sister. She-Our mother took her when she left Zeus. I never got to meet either of them. I don't even know why she didn't take me with her."

"Why not track her down?"

Jason chewed on his lip for a moment before replying. "I'm scared I guess. What if she didn't want me? I know that's why Zeus gave me away."

"What do you mean?" asked Percy, cocking his head to the side.

"I wasn't good enough for Zeus. I wouldn't develop into an Omega like him, so he said I wasn't good enough to be his son. He didn't want to have anything to do with me. He told Chiron to keep me out of his sight whenever the two of them dealt with each other."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah, well, that's my father for you. I shudder to think what he'll do to U.N.I.T. now that he is in charge."

"Would it really be that bad?"

Jason chuckled dryly. "Think of him as a modern day Hitler, and I do mean that literally."

"That's really harsh, Jason."

Jason just shrugged. "Whatever. Believe what you want. Just be ready to fight when the time comes," Jason replied, gathering his things and heading for the door. He tossed a wave over his shoulder right before the doors shut behind him. Percy sighed and jabbed the punching bag one final time.

* * *

Nico made his way back into the lab, stopping when he saw Chiron talking to Percy's parents. They seemed to be arguing in hushed voices over something. Nico was about to walk over, when Chiron waved him off with a small gesture. Chiron's face did not seem happy with whatever Poseidon and Sally were talking to him about. Nico's eyebrows furrowed as he turned away from the scene. He stopped outside of his room, spotting Athena's projection working on Rachel's room.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, stepping up to the hologram.

Athena turned her head and gave Nico an annoyed look. "If you must know, I am outfitting the rooms so that you can all have a small bit of privacy," Athena replied.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"You are here, and that is problem enough."

Nico narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to be a bitch about it, we didn't do anything wrong here."

"You mean, besides putting all of us at risk by harboring all of you? You are also from an organization that, while has good intentions, is willing to kill people to achieve its goals."

"Are you saying I'm a bad guy?"

"I am saying that you are morally grey. You will make the hard choices to get what you want. So no, I do not like you all being here."

"What makes you think we like being here any better?" Nico shot back.

"That is enough, Nico," Chiron said, having walked over to Nico and Athena. He frowned at the hologram, who just went back to work. Chiron led Nico inside Nico's room. Nico sat down on his bed and looked up at Chiron. Chiron waved his hand around the room.

Nico looked at him questioningly. "A forcefield?"

"I don't want anyone hearing what I'm about to say."

"Is it about that argument?" Chiron nodded. "What was that about?"

"It seems our hosts are not as hospitable as we believed. They seem to know everything about us."

"Everything?" Nico questioned.

"At least everything that can be found on file."

"So have Leo remove everything."

"We would have to get the files and hide them, Leo handed them over, remember?" Nico nodded grimly. "They don't seem to be fond of us."

"We were just following orders."

"Blindly."

"Do you regret it?"

"Some things, it keeps me up at night sometimes."

"But they wouldn't know that part," Nico reasoned.

"No they wouldn't. They only care about what we did, not our moral qualms."

"Are we in danger here?"

"I am not certain. We should remain on our guard." Nico nodded. "Just don't do anything to make them less trustful of us."

Nico nodded again. "I won't. I'll just be happy when we can get out of here."

"What if Percy chooses to stay?"

Nico bit his lip. "What are my options? I can't stay here when I don't feel welcome. It'll be hard, but I think I can still be with Percy."

The door to Nico's room opened again. Sally ran face first into an invisible wall. Chiron and Nico raised a hand each to hide their amused grins as the woman rubbed her forehead. "If you would be so kind as to remove this forcefield, Chiron," Sally stated, tossing Chiron a stern look. Chiron chuckled and snapped his finger. Sally huffed and walked into the room. "I'd like a word with Nico for a moment."

Chiron glanced at Nico, who nodded. Chiron walked out of the room without a word. Sally cleared her throat and clasped her hands in front of her. "What can I do for you?" Nico asked.

"I want to talk to you about your relationship with my son." Nico's face dropped. "Percy is old enough to make his own decisions, but that doesn't mean I have to like his choices."

"Did I do something to make you not like me?"

"You are not healthy for Percy." Nico raised an eyebrow at her. "You are emotionally unstable, power obsessed, and the condition you left your last boyfriend in does not speak well of you."

"I wouldn't hurt Percy."

"That has yet to be seen. I just want it to be clear that I do not approve of this. My husband may, but he isn't thinking like a parent, he is thinking like a scientist. I'm not going to tell Percy to break up with you, but I will be watching you very closely."

Nico scowled at Sally. "What makes you think I'm afraid of you?"

Sally chuckled. "I hardly think you are in any position to say such things right now. Your powers are currently flickering on and off. We could have removed them all together. The only reason we helped you was because Percy asked us to."

"I'm just trying to help Percy."

"And because of that, we are willing to let you stay. Percy would likely march to his death if he didn't have the help you all will be providing."

"So, we're just pawns in this for you," accused Nico.

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for."

"This is ridiculous. I haven't done anything to make you dislike me. I actually care about your son-"

"You care more about your powers. All of you have lived your lives for years with your powers, you rely on it, you need it. If you hadn't been on the verge of a complete breakdown, I don't think you'd have taken the antigen, even if that meant you couldn't be with my son."

"You don't know that," Nico whispered, wrapping his arms around his legs. "I took it because I had faith that Percy could beat Kronos. I took it because I want to be with your son. Yes, I had the reassurance that my objective would get taken care of, but that does not change the fact that I didn't do it for power. Your husband said it could mean losing my powers all together."

"It was a small chance. The odds were in your favor." Nico growled at her. "I just wanted us to be clear with each other. I'll be watching," she pulled a syringe out of her lab coat, "and if you hurt my son, I won't hesitate to take those precious powers of yours. One. Little. Poke." Nico flinched at her emphasis at each word. Her demeanor changed back to normal as she slipped the syringe back into her coat. Without another word, Sally walked out of the room, not even looking back at Nico as she left.

Nico did not move from his spot on his bed. He chewed on his lip as he held his legs tighter. For some reason, her threat shook Nico to his core. Nico jumped as his door opened again. A sweat covered Percy came in and smiled at him. Percy took a seat next to Nico on the bed. Nico scrunched up his nose and tried to squirm away from Percy, who smiled and pulled Nico to him. "Percy, you smell," Nico whined. "Go take a shower."

Percy grinned and leaned in to Nico's ear. "You should come take one with me," Percy whispered. Nico stiffened in his arms.

"N-No. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Percy frowned.

"Just-I don't want to talk about it. Just go take a shower. I'll see you when you're done." Percy pouted at Nico, but consented. He hopped off the bed, placed a kiss on Nico's cheek, and walked out the door. Nico leaned back against the wall, letting himself slide down until he hit the floor. "Just great," Nico mumbled, running a hand through his hair. First he nearly killed people he cared about, then he got pulled into this place, where Percy's parents didn't care for them, and now Percy was pushing into a territory that Nico would not like to visit at the moment. Nico curled further into himself at the thought of being touched like that.

* * *

Percy groaned as he stretched under the soothing warm water. He leaned back against the wall. Nico's reaction to joining him in the shower was bothering him. Nico had been pretty open a few days ago, when they had been discussing Percy's body and private activities, and he had even been suggestive when it came to his own body. But Nico had pulled away when Percy had actually tried to be intimate, and Percy had to wonder if this would be a common occurrence. He had never tried anything beyond kissing before, so he was in uncharted territory. Percy did not even know if Nico had even had sex before.

Maybe he should ask Nico about it. Percy shrugged that idea off. Maybe if it kept happening, he would confront Nico about it, but for now it did not seem like anything to worry about. Percy turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and pressed it against his face. He dried off his body before wrapping the towel around his waist, just in time too.

A wave of shadows opened up and Nico fell forward. Percy caught him, preventing the boy from falling. Nico blushed and pulled away from Percy as he took in the sight of the older boy. Nico rubbed at his arm as he tried to avoid looking at Percy's chest.

Percy chuckled. "You can look, you know," Percy informed him. Nico blushed deeper, but glanced down briefly at Percy's chest. "I thought you had already seen me naked?"

"I-I have, but it just feels different now," Nico mumbled back.

Percy smiled and pulled Nico to him, placing the younger boy's hands to his chest. "Well I'm all yours, so you can look and touch whenever you want." Nico smiled up at him, trailing his fingers across Percy's chest. "So, what did you come up here for, I presume it was for something other than seeing me naked?"

Nico coughed and stepped back, apparently having forgotten what he originally wanted. "Yea, you need to get dressed."

"What for?" Percy asked.

"It seems you will be getting a practice fight against the Consortium."

* * *

Percy leaned against a brick wall as the group stood in the shadows. They were at a currently vacant construction site, but nobody had shown up yet. "Are we sure this is where Athena found them?" Jason asked, watching the area like a hawk.

"I'm positive," Percy replied.

"How did they even find him?" asked Apollo, crouching beside Jason.

"U.N.I.T. kept files on all of us, it only makes sense that they had files on our family," reasoned Nico, who was barely noticeable from the shadows.

"I'll kill them," Jason growled.

"Calm down, they obviously are just trying to pull us out of hiding."

"For what end?" Apollo asked, trying to pull Jason into his arms, but the blond just brushed him away.

"They want us, and Chiron," Jason muttered. "I'll fucking kill them."

"Quiet," Percy whispered. He pointed to the building that was being constructed. "Look over there."

Four figures walked out of the shadows of the building, one being shoved forward. Luke stood in the middle of the group, arms crossed over his chest as he scouted the surroundings. Ethan stood to his side, a rope in his hand that tied to the one being shoved. Circe stood off to the right, trying not to look bored. The final figure was the man tied up. He had short grey hair. He had glasses over his brown eyes. Percy did not recognize this man, but knew it was who they were looking for. "Dad," Jason whispered.

Before Apollo could stop him, Jason sent a bolt of lightning crashing down on top the group. The Consortium group scattered, barely managing to dodge the lightning. Jason jumped off the platform they occupied, rolling across the ground when he landed. He brought himself up from his crouched position and ran at the enemy. Apollo tossed Percy and Nico an apologetic look before jumping off after him.

Apollo stretched his hands out to the side, shooting fire out from his palms. He slowed his descent until he landed, immediately taking off after Jason. Circe had made metal beams encase her group, blocking Jason's constant electrical blasts.

Percy looked at Nico, lost at what to do. Nico just shrugged at him, grabbed Percy's hand, and ported them down to the ground. "Let him go!" Jason yelled.

"Perhaps if you calmed down, I might be willing to do that," Luke called back from behind the metal beams.

Apollo grabbed Jason's arm before the angry blond could toss another bolt of electricity. Jason glared at Apollo and huffed. "At least hear them out," Apollo explained. "We do outnumber them."

"Fine," Jason mumbled.

The metal beams dropped. Luke cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Besides, wouldn't want your daddy getting hurt now would we," Luke said with a grin. Jason snarled at him. Luke rolled his eyes and shoved Jason's father onto his back. "We just wanted to get your attention, relax."

"Why?" Percy asked, stepping forward.

"To offer you a place with us, of course."

"After all of these years of us trying to stop you?" Apollo growled.

Luke cocked an eyebrow at the other blond before shrugging. "I see no reason why enemies can't become friends." Luke stepped up to Percy and put his arm around Percy. "I can be nice, just ask Nico here." Nico's nostrils flared as soon as Luke touched Percy. Luke looked over at Nico and studied him for a minute. "Something's different about you."

Percy brushed Luke off of his shoulder. "Leave Nico alone," Percy warned.

Luke smirked at Nico. "Come on, Nico, after all we've been through together, aren't you tired of fighting?" He stepped up to Nico and put his hands on Nico's shoulders. "We could be together again."

"Fuck off," Nico muttered under his breath. "I don't want you anymore."

Luke cocked his head to the side. "Really?"

Percy's fist connected against Luke's jaw, causing the blond to stumble to the side. "Really," growled Percy. Luke rubbed his jaw as he straightened back up. "Don't touch him again."

"Are you his boyfriend now?" Luke asked, raising his brow.

"So what if I am?"

Luke just shrugged. "Just compensation for not having the real thing." Nico growled and thrust his hand forward, pointing two fingers at Luke. Nico blinked down at his hand when nothing happened. Luke cocked his head to the side. "What's this? Have you lost your powers, Nico?"

"Go fuck yourself," Nico snarled at him.

"I'd much rather fuck you." Luke grinned and reached out for Nico again. Percy extended his palm, creating an invisible wall between Luke's hand and Nico's face. He closed his fist, squeezing Luke's hand. Luke stood still and stared down at his hand. Percy gritted his teeth as he tried to crush Luke's hand, but was unable to. "Do you not fully understand my powers yet? I'm invulnerable when I concentrate."

Percy grunted and dropped his hand. "I thought I made it clear back on that roof that I was done with you," Nico spat at Luke.

Luke shrugged. "Whatever, baby. You'll come around eventually. My boss just wants all of you to think about joining us. That includes Chiron, as well."

"And give Kronos three Omegas? Yea right," Jason said, laughing dryly. "Your boss must be crazier than we thought."

"Why?" Nico asked. "What does Kronos want?"

"Ah. You finally want to know, eh?" Luke asked with a smirk.

"No, I just asked for my amusement and to humor you."

"Same old Nico. Well, Kronos simply wants to change the world, make some improvements."

"Now why don't we believe that?" Apollo asked sarcastically.

Luke glared at him. "Kronos wants to give power to the people who fund the Consortium, corporations. It wouldn't be a fast process. It needs just the right speed so that no one notices what is happening."

"What good does that do?"

"Enslave mankind without anyone knowing it," Percy mumbled.

"Very good, Percy," Luke said, clapping his hands.

"And you expect us to go along with this?" Jason asked.

"Why not? You'll all be well taken care of after it is all over."

"Because it's wrong."

"Wrong is just in the eye of the beholder." Luke placed his hand on his hip. "Besides, they wouldn't even know they were slaves. You act like this is something new for people, when the truth of the matter is that most of the people in the world are slaves without even knowing it."

"And our job is to make things better for this world," replied Nico.

"And that means we have to stop you," added Apollo.

Luke grinned at them. "You're welcome to try," he said, turning around and walking back towards the building.

"You two take care of those two," Percy ordered, pointing at Ethan and Circe. "Nico and I will handle Luke." Apollo and Jason nodded. Percy and Nico ran off after Luke, who had reached the entrance of the building. He was now waiting for them with his hands in his pockets, a smirk firmly in place.

Circe gestured with her hand and the metal beams went flying at Apollo and Jason, who jumped out of the way. Ethan gave a devilish grin before vanishing from his spot. He appeared behind Jason and Apollo. Jason and Apollo both tried to blast him, but the boy vanished again. Circe began chanting under her breath. Jason glanced back at her and tried to zap her, but was knocked back when the ground erupted at his feet. Jason rolled across the ground. He groaned as he tried to pick himself up, only to have Circe put her foot down on his back.

"Learn to play nice, little boy," Circe cackled down at Jason. Jason growled as sparks flew across his eyes. "Go back to school and learn some new tri-" Circe stopped when thunder boomed overhead. She looked up to find dark storm clouds now covering the sky. She jumped off of Jason when his body sparked, shocking her slightly.

Jason picked himself up and wiped the dirt off his face. "How's this for a new trick," he growled. A large bolt of lightning came crashing down on top of him, blasting Circe backwards. Jason started walking towards her, as bolt after bolt crashed down around her.

Circe gestured with her hands again and two metal beams came to her side. She threw one at Jason, who ducked under it. Jason thrust his hand forward, lightning shooting out from the tips of his fingers. The other beam dropped from Circe's side as she convulsed on the ground. Jason gritted his teeth and thrust his palm out at her, sending a ball of lightning at her chest.

Circe started screaming when Jason repeated the action. She tried to move her hands to manipulate something, but could not pull anything off with the electricity coursing through her body. "You-You wo-wouldn't kill m-me, wo-would y-y-you?" Circe fumbled as she convulsed on the ground.

"Ask me again when your body is a charred corpse," Jason whispered back darkly.

Jason raised his hand to bring another bolt of lightning down from the sky when Apollo yelled at him. "Jason, move!" Jason blinked and looked behind him. Apollo ran at him and tackled the blond to the ground. Several cinderblocks crashed to the ground where Jason had stood just moments ago. "What the hell, Jason? You need to be more alert. I'm not about to bury you."

"I'm sorry. I-I just got-"

"I know, but you can't lose your head. Now get up and keep your head clear."

Apollo glanced around, trying to locate Ethan, but unable to spot the guy. He looked up at the whistling noise above his head. He yelped and rolled out of the way as a wrecking ball came crashing down next to him. Ethan appeared in front of him, delivering a swift punch to Apollo's jaw.

Apollo acted through the pain and retaliated with a ball of fire aimed at Ethan. Ethan vanished just as the fire hit him. He reappeared a few feet away, patting his shirt, which had been singed. He glanced over at a wheel-barrel full of bricks, which soon vanished. Apollo cursed under his breath as he jumped out of the way of the falling objects. He rolled across the ground as the last brick landed and came into a crouching position. He pushed his hands together and flames shot out at Ethan. Ethan tossed Apollo a smirk before vanishing again, leaving the blond to search again.

Ethan appeared behind Apollo, delivering a kick to the blond's side. Apollo spun around to blast Ethan, but the boy vanished again. Another punch was delivered to Apollo's back, but Ethan vanished again before Apollo could even turn around. Apollo growled, growing frustrated.

Apollo was sent backwards from a jump kick from Ethan. Apollo climbed back to his feet and shot a ball of fire at Ethan, who once again vanished. "Fuck," Apollo growled. Apollo yelled and flames erupted all around him, engulfing several feet in fire.

"Not fast enough," Ethan stated before delivering a kick to Apollo's gut. Apollo coughed and fell onto his hands and knees. Ethan raised his elbow and brought it crashing down on Apollo's back, knocking the boy out.

Jason threw bolt after bolt against the barrier of metal that Circe had erected. He stopped his assault when he heard Apollo yell. He watched as Apollo went down, Ethan standing smugly over him. Growling, Jason created a ball of lightning in between his hands. He gathered the ball into his right hand and threw it at Ethan.

Ethan yelled in pain as the electricity seared his back. He fell over, gasping for breath. Jason raised his hand and brought a bolt of lightning down from the sky. When the smoke cleared, Ethan lay unconscious a few feet away from Apollo. Jason was about to go over and check on his boyfriend, when he remembered Circe. He turned around as two beams flew at him. He hit the ground, barely avoiding the beams as they flew past his head.

Circe dropped her foot on Jason's back again, digging her heel into his spine. Jason cried out in pain, causing Circe to smirk sinisterly at him. Jason opened his eyes and grasped Circe's foot. Jason's body sparked and Circe tried to pull away from him, but Jason held onto her. She screamed as she fell to the ground. Jason let the electric currents flow through her until her screams grew weak, and then he cut off the power, letting her pass out.

Jason climbed to his feet and ran over to Apollo. "Are you ok?" Jason asked, helping Apollo to his feet.

"I'm fine," Apollo replied, rubbing his head. "Go check on your dad." Jason nodded and leaned up to kiss Apollo before running off towards his father, who was still tied up.

"Dad!" Jason exclaimed, sliding down next to his father. He helped the man up and untied his bonds.

"Jason, thank goodness you're alright," Mr. Grace said.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. They didn't hurt you did they?"

"No, I'm alright." Jason nodded and looked over at Percy and Nico.

A cement bag flew into Luke, who caught it against his stomach. He threw it back at Percy, who raised a telekinetic shield around him. Percy gritted his teeth as the bag hit his barrier, which held firm. Nico jumped at Luke with a shadow dagger in hand. Luke jumped backwards with each swing that Nico tried to deliver to his chest. Luke finally kicked out, catching Nico off guard. Nico fell forward, into Luke's grasp. Luke picked Nico up and flung him at Percy, who managed to catch the smaller boy, but they both went tumbling backwards.

Luke ripped a metal beam from the building and raised it over his head. Nico grabbed Percy and shadowed them away before the beam crashed down. Nico summoned a ball of light into his hand and arched his arm at Luke, but the ball disappeared before he could throw it. "Fuck," Nico muttered to himself.

Luke laughed at him. "So, what happened? Can't control your powers anymore?" Luke mused.

"Shut up."

Percy arched his arms backwards before thrusting them out towards Luke. Dirt flew through the air as the kinetic blast rushed at Luke. Luke was flung through the air, hitting a brick wall behind him. Luke picked up a brick and flung it at Percy, who stopped it in the air and tossed it back at Luke. Luke punched the brick, shattering it to pieces, and pulled himself up.

Nico was on top of him by the time he got up, delivering a kick to Luke's face. Luke grabbed Nico's leg as he stumbled. He swung Nico, crashing him into a pile of wooden boards. Nico thrust two of his fingers out, causing a tentacle to rise from his back. The tentacle wrapped around Luke and flung him off of Nico.

Nico climbed back to his feet, panting heavily. He growled and formed a ball of shadow in his hand. He sent it flying at Luke. Upon impact, the ball exploded in a burst of light. Luke fumbled backwards, rubbing at his eyes. Percy took the advantage by bringing a crane down on top of Luke.

Luke grabbed the metal and flung it at Nico, who managed to vanish before it hit him. He appeared next to Percy, immediately falling to his knees. "Tired already, Nico?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow. He studied the exhausted boy for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Now I know what it is. You lost that berserker part of your powers. That's a shame."

"I don't need it to beat you," Nico growled.

"We'll see about that."

Percy charged Luke, punching him in the stomach. He sputtered and went flying backwards, from the extra kinetic force. Percy didn't wait for him to recover. He sent a kick at the wall above Luke, slicing a line across the bricks. The wall came tumbling down on top of Luke until Percy could no longer see him.

Percy slumped his shoulders and turned back to check on Nico. He froze when he saw that a man had appeared and had Nico in a headlock. Nico squirmed against the man's chest, his eyes burning with anger. Nico tried to form a shadow dagger, but his powers seemed to be failing again. The man held Nico tighter, smirking down at the small boy. His gaze finally traveled up to Percy. Percy felt his blood run cold as he finally recognized the man from Nico's memories. Kronos. "Hello, Percy. I'd hoped to meet you for some time now."

_And Kronos has finally shown himself. I'm sure you guys do not like Sally as much, now that she went all momma bear on Nico. The reality of the situation is sinking in to Percy. He knows he will be forced to kill Kronos in the end. You got Jason's backstory this chapter. And Athena does not really like so many Specials being in the lab. And what was that in the conversation with Chiron and Nico? It seems that perhaps they did things that they aren't proud of. Some sexual tension with Percy and Nico thrown in there to make you all happy. And what for next chapter? A lot. Bragi said next chapter is his favorite chapter of Choke so far. And I have to agree. I admit I did a good job, something I rarely do, admit I do a good job that is. It's very emotional and revealing. Percy confronts Kronos, and you get a glimpse into his head. But I think you'll enjoy next chapter. And with that, I bid you farewell until next time._


	17. Chapter 17

_Finally posting day for Choke. Why is that a good thing? Well, I have a few things I wanted to talk about. I'm a little curious if I'm doing something wrong in my story all of a sudden. The reviews have been on this steady decrease. Not really that big of a deal, and definitely not enough of an issue for me to beg for reviews, I was just curious if I was doing something displeasing all of a sudden. Always feel free to let me know of any issues you have. The next topic is that I just finished writing chapter 18. Why is that important? The end is now officially in sight. I literally have about two or three more chapters before the end. There will be next chapter, the big battle, and depending on how long the battle chapter takes, a winding down chapter. After that I will post the epilogue. Now, the epilogue will consist of the series of events leading up to the sequel._

_My next topic, do you guys want a smut scene? We've gone this entire story without one, if you've noticed. So, I want you guys to think on it. Truly think on it. Given the nature of how things are going, should there be one? Now, you can vote until chapter 18 or 19. I'll let you know next week when I have 19 finished. Now, I'm keeping it open that long because there is a significant event to know in next chapter, that really plays into the story. Now, I'm going to be talking it over with Bragi as well, but I wanted input. Now, to those of you that read and may not review usually, I'd really like participation. Not to get extra reviews, but to know what you guys want. If there a lot of people that just don't want the smut, I won't have it. I'll probably write out the chapter and make two different versions of the scene it would be in. So, just let me know on that. Now, let's move to shout outs._

_Bitemeeverywhere: That's an awesome name. No, Nico will never die. He's my favorite character in the books, I could never do such a thing. I mean, I did fake his death in one of my stories, but I'd never actually kill him. Well, I'm glad you are enjoying it!_

_Reining: Haha. I'm sorry I'm torturing you so much in that story! I can't help it, though. I am just fixing future issues. Speaking of insane Nico, I'm sure you'll enjoy next chapter. That is my motivational chapter for writing. Yes, sequel, let us all jump for joy. Exactly. Superman can go die in a fire. Also, whenever I possess a cup, I may do a Bane voice now. I found it does wonders for recreating it. Oh, I'm sure you will enjoy. But now he can be more healthy, and have a healthy relationship with someone not trying to destroy the world._

_Veerayne: Pump you up! I'm sorry :(. I was happy to finally bring him in. It was about time. Oh, Nico has reasons for these things. Yes, you finally updated! I thought you got lost in the cave._

_iPineapplePants: Oh, well thank you! You know, I get annoyed with that too, so maybe that helps. Maybe that's a reason I started. No, I just ruin Bragi's will to live by writing this story._

_Luckyducky: Thank you! It kills me slowly to write the fighting, more in AToLaT than this, but still. Bragi whips me into learning more about combat with superpowers, and stuff. That's something I usually don't divulge. I am forced sometimes into watching some anime or reading a manga, so that I can learn more on what I'm writing. I had to watch this one anime for CoL called Jormungand, and I really fell in love with it. It helped me write the underworld that you see in CoL. I'm sure Nico will be fine. I'm just gonna go ahead and hand you another star, but don't tell anyone what it's for._

_percyjackson: Are you really Percy? If so, you are awesome. And I hope you had a good birthday yesterday. Did Nico give you a birthday kiss? Anyways, I'm glad you think it is awesome._

_RobinsArt: Can I just address the review for CoL the other day? I can't tell you how much I go back and look at it just to read the first line: Getting real tired of your Percy. I can't help it. I don't know why, but I find it hilarious. Anyways. I would expect nothing less. Now I picture that meme with the girl with the braces. WoW reference! Not emotional harassment, protective mother. There is a character limit? I'm gonna have to talk to the site about this. I already have my opening line. I just need a baseball bat and then I walk into the room and say, getting real tired of your shit bitches._

_HeyItAmber: I would never. Don't you trust me? Ruling out everything from AToLaT. Well, that's not very nice. I find you to be the level of fangirl I like, so you're good. Just don't touch into that extreme territory. You'll know when you get there._

_TheWebmaster32: I may or may not be a little sadistic myself. That actually is one of my favorite parts. Then to watch the sighs of relief. But yes, to watch the flames of fear flicker in your deep blue eyes...I watch too much danisnotonfire. Apparently I have several stalkers at this point, so now all that is left is for you to form a fan club or a cult. I'll let you go all Hunger Games for who gets to be the head of it._

_DarkLove: Thank you! I'm not sure a A.I. can PMS. Sally was just being protective of Percy. Athena was designed to deal with Specials, she's not expected to like them. Well, I mean, she might like them, but it doesn't set well with her with them all being there. I do that a lot, don't I? I'm sorry for the wait, but if I posted extra, the story would be ending sooner. Plus I'm just trying to make sure I don't run out of chapters to be posting. I have nearly no buffer._

_Awesome older sibling: She is, just a little bit. Yes, Athena will always be awesome. Oh dammit, hmm. I'll just put in a warning for you for Sola. Don't hate me. And I already addressed the father thing with you._

_LizziDaughterofHades: I just tend to forget her in a lot of my stories. Those that read A Tale of Love and Thrones can testify to that. I let her disappear for chapters. I don't know why, because I really love her character in the books. I try to be modest. I do have a thing for power, though. I'll try my best._

_Make-It-Now: She sucked a bitch? I didn't know she swung that way. She's not a bitch. She's being protective of her son. Yes, it was about time he showed up._

_So, I have a few things to point out from the reviews. It wasn't Zeus that was captured. If it were, I don't think Jason would have cared. This is the adopted one. As for Sally. She's not being evil. She just cares about her son. Remember Nico was insane. Nico is still emotionally damaged. What happened to the last boyfriend Nico had? He left a cut across his face. Sally is just being protective. You'll find out more on why she's cautious of this in this chapter. Bragi is extremely happy that I'm nearing the end of this. He hates Choke. It's more about me writing the powers than the story itself. So yes, he and I may have a small celebration. I'm going to be happy because I'm going to be down to writing 3 fics a week for a little while. I just need a break to ease my burden on writing. And as a reminder, the sequel will be coming out sometime after Sola Amor finishes. I'll announce the title in the epilogue so you can all be looking out for it. Anyways, let's just get on with the chapter._

_Warning: Dark revelations_

_Disclaimer: I'm going to draw a pony...that's all...what? Are you expecting something else? You sadistic people._

Chapter 17

Percy watched Kronos carefully, careful not to do anything that would have him hurt Nico. Nico squirmed in Kronos's arms, unable to break the man's hold. Jason and Apollo appeared by Percy's side a few seconds later. Percy held out his arms, telling them not to advance. "What do you want?" Percy asked cautiously.

"Just to talk. Do you think you could humor me in that request?" Kronos replied, a glint in his eye.

Percy nodded his head. He pointed a finger at Kronos. "I want to know what you're up to."

"I just want to change the world, is that so wrong?"

"It is when you are going to enslave everyone."

"Mankind is already a slave, Percy. You need to realize that. What I want will make the world better for them."

"By giving absolute power to corporations?" Percy asked in disbelief.

Kronos frowned, tightening his hold on Nico. "You sound just like Chiron. I was hoping we could be partners, Percy. Think about it, with your power and my ideas, we could rule the world."

"You want me to enslave mankind for you? Willingly?"

Kronos patted the hair on top of Nico's head. "What about this one? You like him don't you? Don't you want a nice life where the two of you can be yourselves? A place where you don't have to hide what you are?"

"We don't want your 'salvation'," Percy growled. Percy raised his hand, ready to snap Kronos's neck, but Kronos lifted Nico off the ground, placing a hand on Nico's neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you want your boyfriend here to end up in pieces."

Percy lowered his hand with a growl. "You say all of this while hiding behind someone half your size."

"Insurance, that's all." Kronos smirked again. "I don't want to have to kill, Nico. I would prefer he work for me. I've wanted him for many years now. Just like you, he's one of a kind on this planet right now."

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Nico yelled, kicking Kronos in the leg.

"Sadly, he does not seem to want to forgive me for that little mishap with his parents."

"You murdered them!" Darkness spread across Nico's eyes.

Kronos petted Nico's hair while watching Percy. "Perhaps you could help me _persuade _him that I'm not the bad guy here?" Kronos asked Percy.

"I'm not going to help you," Percy growled before waving his hand and sending Kronos flying backwards. Percy ran forward and tackled Kronos as he was standing up. Percy slammed his palms against Kronos's chest, sending him flying back into a beam. Kronos stood up, laughing, and brushed himself off.

"Not bad, but are you really stronger than the rest of us? I expected more," Kronos said in amusement. He raised his hands and flicked his index finger across his thumb. Percy only had a second to realize what was happening, raising a forcefield seconds before an explosion went off in front of him. He skidded across the floor, dropping his shield, and running back at Kronos. Kronos caught Percy's hand as Percy tried to punch the man. He squeezed Percy's hand until Percy fell to his knees. "Not good enough."

"How's this?" Nico yelled just before a beam of light came crashing into Kronos. Kronos went flying backwards, until he hit the wall of the building.

"Ah, I missed your spunk, Nico."

Nico ran over to Percy and helped him to his feet. "I'm fine," Percy assured him.

"Touching," Kronos said with amusement. "I'm offering you a world where you two would have no troubles, and here you are turning my offer down."

"We'll make our own happiness."

Kronos chuckled. "You still don't get it do you?"

"Get what?" Kronos's eyes flickered to Nico. Percy looked over at the dark haired boy. "What's he talking about?"

"N-Nothing," Nico mumbled. Percy furrowed his brow, but looked back at Kronos.

"You will tell me," Percy commanded. Kronos's face contorted in pain. He clutched his head and fell to his knees.

"Percy, don't," Nico tried, but Percy didn't listen. Percy raised a hand to his face as he pushed into Kronos's head, searching for answers.

In Kronos's mind Percy saw visions for the future. Specials openly displaying their powers, harmony, and equality. _"Prejudice cannot exist if their minds are all linked. Linked to your mind. You can have this future, all you have to do is help me." _Building a better world for Specials. Percy pushed in deeper, trying to find more.

* * *

Kronos sat at a table with Chiron, both men sipped on cups of tea. They sat behind a small brick house in a peaceful looking backyard. Chiron sat his tea down on the table and placed his hands on his lap. "I'm not sure I can help you in this, old friend," spoke Chiron. "What you ask is blind enslavement."

Kronos frowned, setting his tea down as well. He sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Is it any better than what the U.N. has hired you for?" Kronos retorted.

"They want to make the world a better place for everyone, not just those that can afford it."

"Two sides of the same coin, that's all it is."

Chiron sighed. "Our objectives are not the same, Kronos," Chiron reasoned.

"You make them sound holy, but their hands are covered in blood. You follow your orders and don't even question them."

"It is my job. I do what I'm told." Chiron tapped his fingers on the table. "You're going to Texas?" Kronos nodded. "Something caught your attention?"

"You could say that."

"I suppose it's none of my business. I fear the path you are taking, old friend."

"I could say the same to you," Kronos said with a chuckle. "Are we prepared to be enemies?"

Chiron folded his arms over his chest and crossed his legs. "It doesn't have to be this way, you know?"

"I don't agree with U.N.I.T., besides, this new organization can help me achieve my goals."

"At what cost?" Chiron asked.

"Whatever the cost." Kronos rose from his chair. "And don't try and tell me that U.N.I.T. doesn't do the same thing, because I know they do." Chiron offered him a sad smile. Kronos grabbed his hat that sat on the table and placed it on his head. With a tip of his hat, he walked off, leaving Chiron alone.

* * *

Percy stumbled backwards. Nico caught him, helping him balance himself back out. Kronos slowly rose back to his feet. Percy let his eyes wander from the ground up to meet Kronos's eyes. A smirk spread across Kronos's face as Percy stared at him. Jason and Apollo stepped closer. A shadow tentacle rose from Nico's back.

"Now this doesn't seem very fair," Kronos stated. "I'm clearly outnumbered."

"What the hell was that?" Percy asked in frustration.

Kronos's smirk grew. "That? That was the truth, dear boy."

"What did he show you, Percy?" Jason asked cautiously.

Percy refused to answer, keeping his gaze locked with Kronos. "Whatever it was, it was probably a lie," Apollo reasoned.

"And what you have told him is the complete truth?" Kronos asked with a raised eyebrow. A ball of electricity formed in Jason's hand. "I suppose it is time I take my leave." An orange ball formed in Kronos's palm. He grinned and tossed it into the air. The ball flickered above them before exploding. The blast sent Percy and the others flying backwards, debris flying through the air. Percy pulled them inside of a telekinetic shield as they flew through the air, protecting them the best he could. The building crumbled, sending smoke and debris all around the area.

Percy groaned as someone shook him. He could barely make out the sound of someone calling out his name. He coughed a few times before opening his eyes. Nico was crouched over him, covered in dirt. He smiled when he noticed Percy was awake. "Are you alright?" Percy coughed out.

"I-I'm fine," Nico replied. Percy sat up and rubbed his hand against his forehead. Nico knocked a brick off of Percy's foot. Percy finally looked around at their surroundings. The building had fallen down, sending its remains down on top of them. He coughed a few more times. His body was covered from head to toe in dirt.

"D-Dad?" Percy turned his head at the sound of Jason's voice. He spotted the blond crouched in front of his father's unmoving body. Apollo stood behind Jason. Apollo bit his lip as he watched Jason, unable to find the right words to say. "Please wake up, dad," Jason whispered, but his father didn't move.

Apollo crouched down behind Jason and wrapped his arms around him. "Jason, I'm so sorry," Apollo whispered. Jason crumpled into Apollo's arms, letting his head fall to hide the tears that were forming in his eyes. Percy looked back at Nico, who had averted his eyes.

"We should get back soon," Nico whispered so only Percy could hear him. "Kronos and the others are all gone."

"Just give him a minute," Percy instructed, turning his attention back to Jason.

"The police will be out here any minute."

Percy sighed heavily and nodded. He stood up and stumbled over to Jason and Apollo. He kneeled down beside the two blonds, looking down at Jason's father's body. "Jason, I know you're upset right now, but we need to go," Percy said gently.

Jason nodded his head slowly. Apollo wiped some of the tears out of his eyes. "We can't leave him here," Jason whispered.

Percy nodded and looked back at Nico. "Do you think you can manage him too?" Nico stared back at Percy awhile, seemingly debating saying no. He eventually sighed and nodded his head. They all crowded around Mr. Grace's body. Nico's face contorted in concentration, but nothing happened. The sound of sirens could now be heard in the distance.

"Anytime now, Nico," Apollo said anxiously.

"I'm trying, alright?" Nico shot back. Percy glanced up when he saw the first two cop cars pull up to the construction site. Four policemen got out of their cars, talking into their radios. Percy's breathing quickened as the cops slid down into the construction site, heading in their direction. Suddenly, shadows erupted from the ground, encasing them in a cocoon of darkness.

They emerged back at Percy's parents lab. Poseidon and the others looked up at them when they appeared. When they noticed someone on the ground, they all ran over. "What happened?" Poseidon asked, checking the Mr. Grace's pulse.

"Kronos showed up," Percy told him.

"Are you alright?" Sally asked, clutching Percy's shoulders and looking him over.

"I'm fine, mom."

"Is he going to be ok?" Jason asked.

Poseidon frowned and placed Mr. Grace's arm back on the ground. "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," Poseidon said quietly. Jason looked devastated, letting his head fall again. He raised his hands to cover his face and brought his legs up to his chest. "We'll give you some time," Poseidon told Jason, placing his hand on his shoulder. Apollo stayed behind to comfort Jason as the others walked off to give the blond some time to grieve.

"You said Kronos was there?" Chiron asked.

Percy nodded. He looked up at Chiron. "You never told me you knew him," Percy said harshly.

Chiron's face grew solemn. "That was in the past, and it was not important for you to know."

"What else did you see in his head?" Nico asked.

"Nothing," Percy lied. Poseidon seemed to notice this, giving Percy a look.

"If all of you would excuse us for a moment, Sally and I would like to have a word with Percy alone," Poseidon stated. Everyone stared at Percy as they walked off. Nico ran a hand down Percy's arm, which he grabbed before Nico could walk off and gave it a squeeze. "What really happened?" Poseidon asked once everyone was out of earshot.

"I got a look in Kronos's head. I saw some things that are kind of bothering me," Percy whispered.

"Such as?" asked Sally with a concerned look.

"I'm starting to question if Kronos is really the bad guy in all of this. From what I saw, his ideas didn't look that bad. He envisioned a world of equality."

"At a price, I assume?" Poseidon asked.

"Using me to enslave everyone in the world." Percy paused. "He knew Chiron, they used to be friends."

"This is bothering you?"

"I feel that maybe Chiron could have prevented some things from happening, or something."

"He was probably under orders to not do anything."

"You're rationalizing this?" Percy asked in disbelief.

"I'm saying that sometimes hard choices have to be made, son." Percy rubbed his head. "We already knew about the things that these people did while at U.N.I.T."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I figured you would have acted the same way you are now. I'm looking at this from an unbiased position, you should do the same."

Percy stared at his father in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest. "I want to know everything."

Poseidon nodded his head. "I agree that you should. Just try and keep an open mind. Your mother and I are keeping our own opinions out of this, you should do the same." Percy nodded his consent. "U.N.I.T. isn't 'good' by definition, but they aren't evil. They are morally grey, and we saw them as the lesser of two evils. All of them, including your new boyfriend, have done things that you might not approve of, but they were just following orders."

"We learned about that in school, dad. They called it the Holocaust," Percy spat back.

"Percy, hard decisions need to be made. We make them, they made them, and eventually, you'll have to make them. We can give you the facts, but the only people who can really tell you what you want to know are those that you now question. Don't judge them if you don't even know what their thoughts on all of this are."

Percy bowed his head. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Poseidon sighed. "When it comes down to it, U.N.I.T. and the Consortium are basically the same. The only thing that makes them different is the amount of people they want to 'help'. Both of them want to change the world, but the Consortium is very exclusive to who it wishes to help. While Kronos may not be the stereotypical bad guy, it doesn't change that his tactics are wrong."

"It's just not how I pictured it when I found all of this out."

Poseidon chuckled lightly. "No, I imagine not. Things aren't always black and white, Percy. Talk to them, you might find out that they aren't like the organization they work for."

"I was getting the feeling you didn't like them, why the change of heart?"

"No change of heart, I'm just telling you the facts without our personal opinion."

"But you're saying what they might have done doesn't make them bad?"

Poseidon nodded. "As bad as it sounds, they were probably just following orders. Perhaps they could have questioned them, but that is in the past. They are no longer with U.N.I.T., now are they?"

* * *

Percy stepped inside Nico's room, hitting the newly constructed button to darken the door without a sound. Nico looked up at him in concern, a frown forming on his lips. Percy just stood in front of the door in silence, unable to look at Nico. "Percy?" Nico asked quietly, looking at Percy with sad eyes.

"I need to know the truth, Nico," Percy said calmly.

"About what?"

"U.N.I.T., what you've done while there, and anything else I may not know."

Nico looked at Percy with a mix of shock and hurt. He fidgeted on his bed, opening his mouth a few times, but unable to find any words. "Wh-Why do you ask?"

"I just got to thinking about what Kronos said back there, and I...lied. I saw more while I was in his head. I just want to know the truth."

Nico pulled his legs up on the bed, resting his elbow on them. He placed his forehead into the palm of his hand and dug his fingers into his hair. "I was a federal agent, Percy. That stuff is classified."

"I don't care," Percy said in hushed voice, a mix of gentleness and frustration in his voice. "Tell me."

"Are you going to force me?"

Percy frowned. "No. I don't want to use my power on you. I'm just asking for you to tell me. You told me no more secrets."

Nico's eyes flickered to Percy. "This is different. I had orders."

"What orders?" asked Percy.

"Orders to keep things classified, for starters."

"I don't care, Nico. You're not in that U.N.I.T. anymore. You're supposed to be helping us. My parents can show me all the files, but I want to hear it from you."

Nico bit his lip, narrowing his eyes at Percy. He finally let out a breath and let his head drop. "What do you want to know?"

"What all have you done? There was something unspoken between you and Kronos back there, I want to know what it was."

Nico took a deep breath before speaking. "You have to understand, Percy, the things I did had to be done. If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else. I was just following orders, but it didn't mean I liked them." He placed his fist over his mouth for a moment, trying to find the right words to continue. "I killed people, people that may not have done anything, but were just leverage to crack someone they were close to. I've had to steal things. Plans, weapons, chemicals, viruses, you name it, I've probable stolen it. When you're the best, you get asked to do a lot. It never got easier."

"What didn't?"

"The killing," Nico whispered. His eyes flickered to Percy momentarily before looking straight ahead. "Killing the people from the Consortium was one thing, but the innocent blood, that was something else. It stays with you, haunting your dreams." Tears started to form in Nico's eyes as he kept talking. "The muffled screams of children, children that were just being used to get the cooperation of one of their parents. They didn't do anything, but it was an order. You see, making the decisions on the path to the betterment of the world isn't always easy. Hard choices are made, people get hurt, lives are destroyed."

Percy chewed on his lip, sitting down next to Nico on the bed. "Why? Why did you do it? Why didn't you say no?"

"I was just following orders given to Chiron. I trusted him with my life, I still do. If he was going along with it, why shouldn't I? We were told it would lead to a better life for everyone, not just us, but everyone in the world. The difference between us and the Consortium was just that we weren't going to blindly enslave people."

"Just force it."

Nico bit his lip and nodded his head. "I'm not going to ask for forgiveness for what I've done in the past, I don't deserve any. I have my own punishment for what I've done: I have to live with myself every single day. Looking back on it, it looks bad, I get that, but back then it sounded very appealing. The U.N. said that people like Kronos would be dealt with, and things like what he did to my family would never happen again. A better world for everyone, and it would be a place where I didn't have to be afraid of what I was."

"I just want to know that I can trust you," Percy whispered, resting his head on top of Nico's.

"I wouldn't betray you, Percy. I did what I did, and there's no taking it back. It doesn't mean I enjoyed it, nor does it mean I approved of it. I want to help make the world a better place, that's why I got involved with them in the first place. I didn't know back then what I know now." Percy wrapped an arm around Nico and pulled the smaller boy to him, pulling Nico's legs up into his lap. "You probably hate me," Nico whispered.

"I don't hate you, Nico." Percy placed a kiss to Nico's forehead. "I'm trying to understand, I really am. I'm not going to hold you accountable for all of this. If anyone is to blame it's U.N.I.T." Nico rubbed at his eyes, offering Percy a small smile when the green eyed boy took his other hand into his own. "Just know you don't have to do that anymore."

Nico nodded. "I know, and I'm sort of relieved to be out of U.N.I.T."

Percy placed a hand behind Nico's neck and pulled Nico into a kiss. Nico clutched at Percy's shirt, trying to pull him closer. Percy kept it innocent, not thinking it a moment to try to turn heated. Eventually he drew back, looking into Nico's eyes. "I'm going to go talk to Chiron, ok?" Percy asked. Nico nodded. "Don't worry, we're fine." Nico gave Percy a weak smile. Percy leaned in and pecked Nico on the lips one more time before getting off the bed and leaving Nico's room.

Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair as the door shut behind him. Today had really been a wakeup call for him. His parents were right. Things were not simply black and white. Percy walked down to Chiron's room. The door slid open and Percy stepped inside, once again pressing the button to darken the door.

"I need to talk to you, Chiron," Percy informed the man, who was sat on his bed, reading a book.

Chiron glanced up at Percy, taking in his serious expression. He let out a sigh and closed his book. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and stood up. "I take it this is about what happened with Kronos?" Chiron asked. Percy nodded. "What is it you wish to know?"

"I just want to know the truth. You knew Kronos, you could have stopped him back then, why didn't you?"

Chiron's face became solemn. "We were friends once, but I'm sure you already knew that. We studied at college together. He wasn't always like this. I am ashamed to say that I didn't notice how far he had fallen until it was too late."

Percy stared off to the side, contemplating his next words. "It's funny how fate can be cruel." Chiron tilted his head in confusion. "Kronos was on his way to murder Nico's parents, if you had acted, Nico wouldn't have ended up orphaned, and Luke wouldn't have become corrupted."

"And you probably would have never met Nico," Chiron reminded him. "We can never know the consequences of our actions, Percy, remember that." Chiron sighed. "What else did he show you?"

"The world he wanted to achieve. He wanted me to help him enslave everyone."

Chiron nodded. "That is why you were so important, Percy. I didn't understand what Kronos wanted you for, not until we learned of your telepathy. Then everything just fell into place."

"Why didn't you tell me when you figured it out?"

"Well, if you recall, we were busy constantly."

"I already talked to Nico, he told me what U.N.I.T. made him do." Chiron didn't say anything. "I wanted to know how you could follow orders like that, how could you put that on Nico and the others?"

Chiron frowned. "You think I liked having to give them orders like that? I looked at all of them like my own children."

"Then why?" Percy asked.

Chiron pursed his lips, almost hesitant to answer. "The long term goal was a better world for everyone. I'm sure Nico told you that hard decisions had to be made, but that never meant I approved of them. How do you think I felt, knowing that I was probably making Nico's growing mental condition worse? It isn't easy knowing that you've stained innocent young people's hands with blood. I will not try and claim that anyone's hands at U.N.I.T. were clean. My own hands have seen their fair share of blood. Bettering the world is not an easy task. You had to accept a morally grey conscious if you wanted to keep your mind intact."

"Why not just walk away?" Percy whispered.

"I had hoped that things would change, that maybe we wouldn't have to have innocent blood spilled to reach our goals. Perhaps I had hoped that we could become independent from the U.N. You go into a job like that with such good intentions about saving the world, but somewhere along the way, you start to wonder if there is a world out there worth saving. Is there hope for a better tomorrow? I've kept myself awake many a night, trying to answer that question."

* * *

"You ready to go?" Grover asked Percy. It was getting late, and Percy, Annabeth, and Grover usually left the lab to go back to their apartment at night.

Percy looked over at his father, who was monitoring Athena and Leo as they worked on the battle suits. "I'll catch up to you guys," Percy told them. Annabeth looked like she was about to protest, but Grover stopped her, tugging on her arm until they got in the elevator. Percy strolled over to his father, coming up beside the taller man.

"The suits are coming along nicely," Poseidon told him. Percy nodded. "Everything alright?"

"Just thinking about things," Percy replied. He watched Athena correct Leo on his suit, apparently Leo was trying to make his own modifications, but it was not flying with the A.I. "Just how everything seems be part of this seemingly connected series of events."

"What do you mean?" Poseidon finally tore his eyes away from the suits to look at Percy.

Percy shook his head. "Nothing. It's probably nothing, don't worry about it. I'm just starting to worry about what the future holds."

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine. Perhaps it can be our first step towards a real peaceful world."

"Maybe. Can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"If we can pull this off, I'd like you and Chiron to try and get along, maybe try having this organization make true peace, make real changes."

Poseidon stroked his beard for a moment. "I'll think about it. I'll talk to him about it after this is all over. I'm sure there will be a lot of things to work out between all of us."

"You still don't trust them, do you?" Percy asked, lowering his voice so Leo didn't hear him.

"It's hard not to, son."

"Is it because they're Specials, because I'm one too, if you haven't forgotten."

"I don't think I could forget a detail like that. It's not what they are, it's what they've done."

"Now you sound like you have a different opinion of them."

"I was just giving you the facts earlier. You need their help, Percy, and I didn't want you to turn away any help they could offer."

"So what, are you going to send them away after this is all over? Hold them here for testing? Terminate them?" Percy asked a little harshly.

"If you're asking if I'm going to hurt Nico, the answer is no. I'm not going to be a super protective parent and tell you who you can and can't be with. I don't see any harm in him anymore now that he's taken the antigen."

"The rest of them?"

"They'll be free to go live their lives after this is all over."

"I'd really appreciate it if you talked to Chiron about what I said."

Poseidon sighed. "Very well."

Percy smiled up at his father. "Thanks. I'm gonna check on Jason and say goodnight to Nico before I go." Poseidon nodded. Percy walked off, heading for Jason's room. The door opened and Percy stepped inside. Jason laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Jason?"

Jason sighed, not taking his eyes off of the ceiling. "Please don't ask me how I'm doing, or any combination of that," the blond replied quietly.

"I know you're hurting, I just wanted to check on you."

"I'll be fine."

"Where's Apollo?" Percy asked, taking notice of the other blond's absence.

"I told him I wanted to be alone for a little while. I think he's up on the roof with Nico."

Percy nodded, even though Jason couldn't see it. "Do you want to talk about it?" Percy rubbed the back of his neck.

"Not right now, maybe in the morning. It just sucks, you know? I never even told him I was leaving that night, I just ran away, only leaving a letter behind. I just feel like a shitty son. What kind of son does that to his father? I just keep thinking about how much he must have been worried, how hurt he must have been. Two years of worrying about me, and all I could give him was the occasional phone call. Why did they have to drag him into this? If it hadn't been for me, he could have still been alive."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for this, Jason. I can promise you that they'll pay for this."

Jason wiped at his face. He finally sat up and looked at Percy. "Thanks, Percy. You know, after this is all over, I hope we can still be friends."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Jason gave him a sad smile. "I'll see you in the morning. If you're going up to the roof, would you mind sending Apollo down?"

Percy smiled. "Sure, I'll go get him," he said gently. He walked back out of the room and headed for the elevator. Once inside, he hit the button to the top floor. He fell back against the elevator wall with a long sigh. Today had left him both physically and emotionally drained. He just wanted this all to be over as soon as possible. The elevator came to a stop, opening its doors for Percy. Percy walked out and turned to his left. He opened a door and headed up the stairs.

Once at the top, Percy opened a door, revealing the night sky. Percy spotted Apollo and Nico sitting on the edge of the building. Percy made his way over to the two, who were caught up in their own conversation. "You should tell him," Apollo said, looking up at the night sky.

"I'm scared," Nico whispered so quietly that Percy almost missed it. Nico had his head turned, watching the city below them.

"It's not like he's going to look at you different, but he deserves to know. What are you going to say the next time he tries something?"

"I'll cross that bridge when we get there." Percy cleared his throat and the two looked at him. Nico's eyes widened at the sight of him. "P-Percy, how much of that did you hear?"

"Just a little bit," Percy said, watching Nico carefully. He glanced over at Apollo. "Jason wants you." Apollo nodded and jumped off the ledge. He patted Nico's knee and walked past Percy. When Percy heard the door shut, he spoke again. "What was that about?"

"I really don't want to talk about it," Nico mumbled.

Percy tilted his head, trying to catch Nico's eyes. "I thought we agreed no more secrets?"

"This is different, it's personal." Nico looked up to catch Percy's frown. Nico's own face fell into sadness. "I promise it has nothing to do with you, it's just something I have to deal with."

Percy walked over and climbed onto the ledge next to Nico. "What if I can help?"

"You have enough to worry about right now," Nico said, staring down at the ground. "It's not like I'm never going to tell you, I'm just saying not now." Nico yawned and jumped off of the ledge.

Percy sighed and climbed off as well. He pulled Nico into a hug, wrapping his arms around Nico's waist. "Just know I'm here for you whenever you want to talk."

"I know, thank you." Nico's hands gripped Percy's shirt. Percy placed a kiss on top of Nico's head.

"Well, I guess I need to get going. I just wanted to tell you goodnight." He leaned down and pecked Nico on the lips. He went to leave, but Nico took hold of his wrist. Percy turned his head, looking at Nico in confusion.

"Could you stay with me tonight?" Nico asked sheepishly. Percy smiled and nodded, pulling Nico into another hug. Percy slid his hand into Nico's and led them both back into the building. Nico leaned back against Percy in the elevator, while Percy wrapped his arms around Nico. Percy was fully aware of several sets of eyes on them as they made their way back to Nico's room, but none of them said anything. When the door shut to Nico's room, Percy hit the button to darken Nico's door to give them privacy.

Percy stepped up to Nico as the boy was busy tugging his shirt over his head. He took the shirt into his own hands and pulled it over Nico's head, planting a kiss on his lips when the fabric fell to the floor. Nico's hand found its way up to Percy's face during the kiss. Percy pulled back and yanked his own shirt over his head. He leaned back in for another kiss, but Nico held him back.

"I didn't mean it in a sexual way," Nico explained. "I just-I just wanted some company. This place still makes me a little nervous."

"Oh," Percy replied, trying not to look disappointed. He quickly smiled at Nico to reassure him that it was alright. "No, it's fine."

"Really?" Nico asked as he climbed onto his bed.

"Really. Is it alright if I take these off, though?" Percy asked, gesturing to his pants.

Nico smiled and nodded. "I was planning on doing the same."

Percy smiled back and exhaled. He unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the floor. He stepped out of them and pulled off his socks. He looked up to see Nico looking him over. "Are you sure that's all you wanted?" Nico's face immediately turned red and he averted his eyes, slipping his own pants off. Percy licked his lips as Nico's pale flesh was exposed to him. Percy climbed onto the bed, leaning into Nico. "You can look, you know? We are dating now."

Nico looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We are?"

"Well, yea," Percy replied, rubbing the back of his head. "At least I had hoped that's what we were."

Nico smiled. "No, that's fine. I just didn't know for sure. You never asked."

"Oh, I had just assumed. Well, I mean, would you like to go out with me?"

"Well, I think it's a little late for that now, Percy."

Percy chuckled. "I guess you're right. Maybe we should just go to bed."

Nico leaned in and pecked Percy on the lips. "Maybe." Percy flipped his index finger downwards, flipping the light switch in the room, and casting the room into darkness. Nico curled into Percy with his back facing Percy's chest. Percy wrapped his arm around Nico's waist, taking Nico's hand into his own.

_So, how was the chapter? Dark? Wasn't what you were expecting? Chiron and the others had to do some dark shit. But people like this usually work in a morally grey area. It doesn't make them bad people, but they sometimes do bad things. As you can see, they have to live with themselves afterwards, and it burdens them. How about Kronos? You now know why he wants Percy. And you saw a little into his life. Is the world he speaks of so bad? A perfect world where everyone gets along. But everyone is forced into it. Percy would control everyone. And Chiron knew Kronos before all of this started._

_But I really want to know your thoughts on the scene with Nico and Chiron. The stuff Percy learned about them. It kind of broke my heart just writing the part with Nico. A lot of bad things can happen when someone is just following orders. Poor Jason. I felt sad for him too. But he has a sexy boyfriend there to comfort him. I'm sure you all loved the bit with Percy and Nico at the end, though. Anyways, next week is just a build up. The final battle is soon at hand. What to expect next chapter? Well, surprisingly enough, there isn't much to say. I managed to write a lot on a few things. The secret that Nico has is one of those things, and it will be revealed. That flashback I talked about a few chapters ago, I'll dedicate it to Reining. Trouble in paradise? The battle suits. More Percy/Nico times. And it all ends on a really big note. So join me next time. Oh, and do I write too long of A/Ns? Should I shorten them? I just ramble a lot and I can't help it sometimes. But anyways, I'll see you next time._


	18. Chapter 18

_I know you're probably wondering why there's another chapter being posted this week. Well, unlike my double posting yesterday for A Tale of Love and Thrones, I wanted to do this one. Just part of me is ready to cross that finish line. Now, I'm going to go ahead and announce something important for you all to know. It all really depends on how many chapters this turns into, but something is happening when I publish the last chapter, the epilogue, which will be either Aug. 29th or Sept. 2nd. If it falls on the 29th then what I'm about to say will immediately take effect, but if it falls on the 2nd, then it will take place the next day. The second that I publish the epilogue, or the latest chapter of Sola Amor, I will be vanishing from the site for a hiatus. So, if you want to talk to me about anything, you have until that date. Why? Well, if you've been reading my A/Ns, you know I've gotten extremely stressed out with writing four fics on a weekly basis. Bragi will be coming in on the A/Ns for that week to clarify anything, and if you have something really important to ask or tell me, you can message him, Bragi151. When I say I am vanishing, I will not be logging in at all. So, if you message me, I will not be responding to it. I just need a nice break before I start again._

_So, during that time, you can't PM me, I may or may not be reading fanfics, and anything else you normally see me doing on here. How long will this be? Undetermined is the best answer I can give. We talked it over for a few hours on Monday. (Bragi: And he complained about it immensely) It will range anywhere from a week to two months. And it's not just due to my stress, but also because my writing has started to suffer. I've started to notice it, Bragi has noticed it (Bragi: And I've been trying to fix it), and a reviewer noticed it. I'm taking the break to safeguard my fics from further harm. I will not have Children of Loss suffer because I'm suffering. I want that fic to be good enough to be a published book. During my hiatus, I will not be writing anything for my three remaining fics. Instead, I will be completing the world building, lore, characters, and plot of my new fic. Though, part of me wants to actually start a book...so I was a little tempted to scrap the fic and use it for a book. (Bragi: No) I also constantly have the same thought for Children of Loss. And about that review. It didn't really bother me, except for the word boring. But that was because it just finally hit me that I've flatlined, as Bragi put it. I've been growing ever since I started, and now I just stopped. Anyways, enough about that, I just wanted to let you guys know about this. Now, let's just move on to the shout outs._

_DarkLove: Haha. You got the review in just as I went to look at reviews to do my A/N. I figured that was the cause, probably has a lot to do with reviews. Yeah, I was hoping no one would really see it coming. I do feel bad for Jason. I also feel bad for Nico. Well, the big fight will be more next chapter, which I haven't written yet._

_Reining: I thought that might have something to do with it. Oh wow, I didn't see that coming from you. He's very tragic, but that's why we love him. I'm sure he has a lot of nightmares. Well, you are partially right on the second guess._

_Lucy: Yeah, I guess that's true. You'll see this chapter._

_V1nvampire: I think I went and listened to Ding Dong the Witch is Dead when I wrote that._

_RaiuxNeexChan: Hmm. We'll have to see. It would only appear once in Choke if I did. Cats love attention. I know when I'm at my laptop and my cat is in the room she has to get on my keyboard._

_Hostiletakeover: That's an awesome name. I guess I overlooked it when I first started, my apologies. Yes, I do feel stupid for putting that song reference in now, but that might be because when I started, the song wasn't that big, and now it is a meme and I want to stab someone. Go google Hey I Just Met You meme and find the one with Liam Neeson in it. That is now I how I feel about that song._

_HeyItsAmber: I try to. I sort of realize that, and I'm refusing to comment on everyone's vote so I can address it before the chapter._

_MadlyMagical: I don't really know what you mean by I swapped the roles of Percy and Nico. Percy is still the top in this, if that's what you mean. Or you could mean that Percy is the 'innocent' one. I need more clarification. Most people did, but he had to go sadly. He would have only killed a bunch of people, gotten himself killed, or destroyed himself. And yeah, I tried to keep it as minimal as possible on the gay guys. Bragi wanted Leo to be gay, and I just had to say no for that reason. Actually, chapter 12 is where my beta really started not liking this story, because I made Nico so powerful. Which is another reason he had to lose the insanity thing. I do enjoy dark fics._

_Coralie14: Thank you. And that's just how life is, grey. Yes, that is what inspired the two of them. Not originally, I just came up with it on the spot._

_percyjackson: Sadness. Really? Well, find me Percy and/or Nico, and have them delivered to me. Thank you!_

_Awesome older sibling: Thanks! Haha. It's so appealing, but oh so wrong...I want it...but no I must hate it. Morally grey is the proper term, but yes, they aren't that nice of people. Well, I suppose, but they do work in opposition of each other. He's a technopath and she's a super A.I. So, I don't know how well that would go. That could always be the smut if I don't go the route of Percy/Nico sexy times. Warning on Athena in that fic. Well I'm glad you enjoy my A/Ns._

_Make-It-Now: It did shock me. It was a little scary, but I think it will be the other way around. I think it will change other people's minds. I might._

_LizziDaughterofHades: I blame my stress. Well thank you! Actually, I cannot actually turn it down to T because I have several chapters that have a lot of gore moments. I can list 3 chapters right off the top of my head._

_DawnScarlet19610: I actually appreciate the honesty. Though, if you want me to relieve you from reading this fic, I can. I do know how that feels. I have a fic I read that I don't like anymore, I did when it started, but something just changed, and I just skim it. So, I don't have any room to be mad. Well, except for Sola Amor, all of my stories are AU. I suppose I should actually put AU somewhere in the summaries, or something. How is Nico the main character? Percy is the POV character 90% of the time. The story is still focusing on him, but Nico is a big part of the story. He should be if he is dating Percy. I mean, the first few chapters was Nico being this enigma figure, so I thought the story should unravel his character. But yes, like I said, the only thing I got stung by was the word boring. But I think that's my own fault for stressing myself out so badly._

_DrunkOnCookies: I was hoping it would be. I wasn't really worried, confused is a better term. I love Daft Punk, they were the music of my childhood. Yes people, I was a kid/preteen when their song One More Time and those songs were freshly out. I saw them on Toonami all the time, back when Saturday night on Cartoon Network was pure awesome. If you know who Tom is, you're cool. And I don't mean from Myspace. They stole my panda._

_TheWebmaster: But :(. You'll just have to see this chapter first._

_Luckyducky: But an awesome crazy. Yes, everyone is crazy. But Kinzie died in the story, and that's what truly matters. You get another gold star. It is very sad, but somehow this became a very dark fic. I think Bragi is right, my stories are bleeding over into each other. It all goes down next chapter. Well, let me know if it is what you thought._

_HappyKid44: I do do a lot of rambling. A little? I'll have to work harder. He is. He's being patient :P. Well, it's something that might swing your vote._

_RobinsArt: Like a boss? That sounds like an awesome operation. Yes, the romance takes sort of a backseat in this fic, but I mean, if they didn't put it there, the world would probably fall into ruin. I was planning on having it in Sola. I don't mind it being in my story, but it does drain me a lot to write it. I don't think Apollo likes to share. I could always have them have sex. Yet Percy doesn't know what it is. So much for being all knowing. I won't let them take you back to jail._

_Alright, so you probably noticed I omitted talking about all the votes in the shout outs. Because I'm going to address it as a whole. I'm worried that it would seem forced. The people who voted no, and Bragi, all made good points. (Bragi: Please also note he didn't discuss this with me before posting his _lovely_ idea)__ Plus, think about Nico's character. He is very emotionally damaged from his past. Does it seem like it would be something he would jump into? So, I guess I want you to think carefully on this. Perhaps not for yourself, but try basing it on what you think the characters would do. And especially think on it after you read this chapter. This chapter is a big issue in the smut happening, you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. Again, the flashback is dedicated to Reining, since she loves insane Nico so much._

_Warning: Violence, death, you know, stuff that probably should be warned against, but I don't find myself concerned with the fact that you may show sex stuff to your parents, Amber._

_Disclaimer: Hooray! We are almost done! (Bragi: And xSonOfHadesx does not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ which is strict property of Rick Riordan and Disney)_

_Optional music: When you see this line, "So much for being the perfect Special." Go listen to Ascend to Power by Chris Haigh, it will make the moment so much better for you. That's what was playing in my head while I envisioned the scene._

Chapter 18

Percy sat and watched as Annabeth and Grover tried out the newly finished battle suits. He covered his mouth to hide his laughter when Grover went flying into the ceiling. A few days had passed since his encounter with Kronos, and tension was starting to run high. His parents and Chiron had started butting heads more, making Percy feel like he was stuck in the middle. Nico had been his usual self. One moment he would be happy and affectionate, and the next he would be pushing off of him during their make out sessions.

Jason was still grieving, but had started becoming less of a recluse. If they didn't settle the issue with Kronos soon, though, Percy worried that the lab might become its own battleground. He really didn't feel like taking a side between either his parents or the former U.N.I.T. members at the moment. He was just getting annoyed with it. He didn't understand why his parents and the Specials couldn't get along with each other. The Specials were trying to help them, but his parents were still untrusting of them. Chiron and the others weren't really helping matters, bickering back whenever someone made an unnecessary comment.

Annabeth shot a metallic cord from her gauntlet, where it hit a pole and wrapped around it. The cord started emitting a small burst of electrical pulses, a tactic to neutralize Specials and their powers. Usually, Percy would be training privately, not wanting to be around anyone, but he wanted to be the first to see the new battle suits in use. If it wasn't for Nico being forced to stay here and for the training facility, Percy wouldn't even come be there. He was getting major headaches with all of them. They weren't even always open about their issues with each other, most of the time it was silent, but the tension in the room always made it obvious.

He just wanted it to be over, so that he could try and get back to a normal life. He just wanted his old life back at this point. He wanted to go back to school and he wanted his old problems. He just wanted to go back to his normal life in his old apartment, perhaps with Nico as a new addition. His parents and Chiron wouldn't be around each other. Everyone could just try and be normal. Was it honestly too much to ask for?

Grover eventually managed to maneuver around in the air without crashing into something, while Annabeth just seemed like a natural in her suit. Annabeth and Grover powered their suits down. The chest of the suit started unlocking and they were eventually able to step out of the suits. "That was awesome!" Grover exclaimed.

Percy chuckled. "You both did great," he said.

"I noticed a few things that I want to point out to Athena," Annabeth stated.

Percy picked himself up and the three of them made their way out of the training room. He bid them both farewell once they were back in the lab, deciding to check in on Nico. The door was already darkened, so Percy couldn't see if he was in his room. He walked up to it, letting it open for him. He smiled down at Nico's sleeping form.

Nico lay on his stomach with his head resting on his arms. His dark hair hung down in his face, nearly blocking his closed eyes from Percy's view. His mouth hung open slightly, taking short breaths. Percy ran his fingers across Nico's bare pale leg, causing the boy to twitch in his sleep. Percy smiled as he sat down beside Nico, running a hand into Nico's dark hair. He leaned down and placed a kiss to Nico's cheek.

He eased himself down onto the bed, gently lifting Nico's upper half off of the bed. Nico grumbled in his sleep, flinging an arm at Percy. Percy eased himself below Nico, lowering Nico onto his chest. He raised his hand to rub his cheek where Nico had smacked him. Nico shifted closer to him, burying his face into Percy's chest. Percy wrapped an arm around Nico, while his other one played with Nico's hair.

"I was trying to sleep," Nico mumbled into his chest.

Percy chuckled and peered down at the top of Nico's head. "Sorry. Did I wake you?" Percy asked.

"You picked me up, what do you think?" Nico turned his head to look up at Percy, resting his chin on Percy's chest.

"I wanted to cuddle," Percy said with a pout.

Nico rolled his eyes, but Percy could see the smile that poked out from where Nico's mouth was buried into his chest. Nico laid his head back down. "How was the battle suit exercise?"

"It went well. It took Grover a little while to get used to it, but I guess Annabeth is just a natural."

Nico nodded his head lazily. He tangled his legs up with Percy's, which brought a smile to Percy's face. He leaned down and kissed the top of Nico's head. Nico groaned and stretched one of his arms. He crossed his arms over Percy's chest and rested his chin on them.

"Were you tired?" Percy asked.

Nico nodded. "Just had some trouble sleeping the past night or two," Nico mumbled.

"I could stay again, if you wanted."

Nico shook his head. "No, that's alright. I'm not a dependent little girl, Percy," Nico replied with a smile.

Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. "I know you aren't. It would be awkward if you were, because I can feel something pressing against my leg." Nico blushed and rolled off of Percy. Percy chuckled and rolled onto his side. He pulled Nico back against him. "It's not that big of a deal, Nico. What happened to all that talk back at U.N.I.T.?"

"That was your body, not mine."

"I like your body. You don't have to be embarrassed about letting me see it."

"I'm just nervous, ok?"

Percy propped himself up on his elbow. "Are you a virgin, Nico?"

Nico blushed and glared at Percy. "None of your business," he grumbled.

Percy laughed and kissed Nico's temple. "Actually, I think it is. I honestly don't care one way or the other, I just want to be with you."

Nico sighed and laid his head back against his pillow. "Yes, I'm a virgin. I only ever dated Luke, and we were young when we dated, so no, it never happened."

"Nothing ever happened with you and anyone else?" Percy asked. "A fling? Booty call? Hook up? Friend with benefits?"

Blackness covered Nico's eyes as his gaze locked coldly onto Percy's. Percy fidgeted and gulped, feeling he had touched a sore subject. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," Nico growled, rolling over to face away from Percy.

Percy sighed and wrapped his arms around Nico. He buried his face in the crook of Nico's neck. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Nico rolled back over and gave him a halfhearted scowl. Percy pecked him on the lips. Nico sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Percy grinned mischievously at Nico and climbed on top of him. He rested his hands on either side of Nico's head as he spread the smaller boys's legs apart. "Percy," Nico whined. "Don't you have something to go do?"

"Nope," Percy replied, leaning down for another kiss. Nico sighed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck. Percy's hand found its way under Nico's shirt, his fingers ghosting over Nico's pale skin. Percy reached down to raise Nico's leg up and wrap it around his waist. Nico gasped and Percy clutched his head as he was hit with a memory.

* * *

Nico appeared to be around fifteen. He lay unconscious inside of a dark musty room. Nico groaned and rubbed his head as he sat up. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was those two guys offering him some food. His stomach growled, indicating that he never got that food.

A door creaked open and one of the two men came inside. He smirked down at Nico and yanked him up by his hair. Nico yelped as he was drug out of the room and into a new one. They appeared to be inside of an abandoned factory. A few chains with hooks hung from the ceiling and there were various sharp knives lying around. Was this a slaughter house? Nico's breath quickened as he was thrown onto the ground.

"Well, look who finally woke up?" the man who didn't get Nico said. Nico stared up at him, drinking in his appearance. He had greying hair and yellow teeth. His eyes were a light brown. He grabbed Nico's hair and forced Nico to look up. "Well, just look at you."

"Don't hog him," the second man said. The man with grey hair sent him a scowl and released Nico's hair. The second man kneeled down beside Nico and smiled at him, but it did nothing to make Nico feel more comfortable. "So, what were you doing out here, little boy?"

"Running," Nico replied darkly.

"Well, you won't be doing any of that for a while when we're done with you," the first man said with a laugh. Nico was about to reply with something hateful, but the first man grabbed him and flung him at a table. Nico's head was slammed against its surface, making his vision blur.

"He has a nice ass," the second man commented. Nico heard a zipper and began thrashing around more, but the first man had a firm grip on him.

"Don't touch me!" Nico screamed.

"Or what? What are you going to do?"

Nico bit his lip and shut his eyes. His heartbeat quickened and he felt his blood run cold. The second man grabbed his pants and yanked them down. Nico bit back a sob, biting down on his lip so hard it drew blood. The man pressed himself up against Nico, making Nico take in a sharp breath. "Stop!" Nico screamed. His irises erupted, the black in his pupils spreading to the rest of his eyes. His body went limp and dark lines started to spread from the corners of his eyes.

The first man noticed this and gulped. He started stepping backwards, tripping, and falling onto his ass. The second man paid him no attention and continued to groped Nico's backside. "Shut up, kid."

Shadows erupted from Nico's body, a tentacle shooting out to wrap around the man's neck. Nico turned to face him, his arms flailing through the air like a rag doll. His head fell to the side to stare at the man with his black eyes. One of his hands reached down to yank his pants back up.

"Wh-What the hell are you?" the second man screamed.

"Your death," Nico emotionlessly replied. The man's breath caught as he was impaled by a tentacle from Nico's back. Nico raised his hand, his fingers moving as if they were controlling a puppet. The man started choking on his own blood. His hands clutched as his chest. It soon became noticeable that something was moving beneath his skin. Nico spread his fingers and the man's body expanded until it reached its limit. Pieces of him fell to the ground as the two tentacles Nico had been using retracted into his back. He walked forward, dragging his feet across the ground.

The other man scrambled around and tried to make a run for it. Nico growled and bared his teeth. He hunched forward as hundreds of tentacles erupted from his back. Each of them flew at the fleeing man. He screamed for one brief second as they all landed. Nico stared emotionlessly at his mutilated impaled corpse.

The darkness vanished from his eyes like mist evaporating in the air. He fell forward, landing face first onto the ground. The shadows vanished from his back and his skin returned to normal. His eyes drifted halfway open a few moments later, staring at the first man he had killed. His body was too drained to move.

* * *

Nico shoved Percy off of him. He was fuming as he shot up in the bed. Percy fell off of the bed, his breath getting knocked out of him as he landed on the floor. "How could you?" Nico yelled, glaring at Percy. "That was private!"

Percy pulled himself back up. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it-it just happened," Percy replied frantically. This was not going to go well.

"You read my thoughts, Percy! I told you I didn't like it when you did that!"

"I-I didn't mean to," Percy fumbled, trying to reach for Nico, but Nico only pushed him away.

Nico scowled at him and pulled his legs up to his chest. "I wasn't ready to talk about that yet. Dammit, Percy." Nico let his head drop, hiding it from Percy's view behind his legs.

Percy crawled onto the bed and sat in front of Nico. "Nico, I'm sorry. It was an accident, please believe me!"

Nico snapped his head up to glare at Percy again. "I thought you had control!" Nico yelled back at him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Please don't be mad at me. I was just curious, and it sort of popped into the front of your mind." Percy buried his face into his hands and groaned. "Can we just talk about this?"

"Get out," Nico whispered.

"Nico, please don't be like this. What I saw doesn't change anything between us."

"You invaded my privacy!" Nico huffed at Percy and turned his head to stare at the wall. "Just go, I don't want to talk to you right now."

Percy let his head fall back and he sighed. He bit his lip and nodded. He climbed off the bed and walked to the door. He glanced at Nico, hoping the boy would change his mind, but he didn't. Percy sighed again and walked out of the door. He made his way over to Leo and Grover, who were working on Grover's suit. He collapsed into a chair with a groan.

The two boys blinked over at him, stopping their conversation. "Everything alright, Perce?" Grover asked. He walked up to Percy and stared down at him with concern.

"I fucked up," Percy mumbled.

"Trouble with Nico?" Leo asked, waving a wrench around. Percy nodded with another long sigh.

The elevator opened and Jason and Apollo strolled in, immediately noticing Percy. "What's the matter with him?" Apollo asked, pointing to Percy. Percy groaned and slumped down in his seat.

"Trouble in paradise."

Jason snorted. "What did I tell you, Percy? He's not always the warmest person," he said, patting Percy on the back.

"Told you that you were barking up the wrong tree," Apollo added.

"Thanks for the support, guys," Percy mumbled.

"Just give him some time to cool off," Jason chuckled. "I'm sure everything is fine."

"What did you do anyways?" Grover asked.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Read his mind," Percy replied.

They all sucked in a breath and made a pained expression. "Not a smart move on your part, dude," Apollo stated.

"That's like checking his phone," Grover added.

"Maybe you should go buy him something," Leo continued.

Jason rolled his eyes. "He's fine," he assured Percy.

Percy looked up at him with a pout. "How do you know that?" Percy asked.

Jason chuckled. "Nico's not going to let something like that jeopardize your relationship with him, especially after you took the news about him so well." He gave Percy a reassuring smile. "Just give him some time to cool off. Go get some training in, or something."

* * *

Percy fidgeted outside of Nico's door. It was getting late, and Percy wanted to resolve this so Nico wouldn't go to bed angry at him. The door slid open and Percy stepped into the room. Nico sat on his bed, propped against the wall. His gaze flickered up to Percy, staring at the taller boy from behind his bangs. "Hey," Percy mumbled.

"Hey," whispered Nico.

"Look, Nico, I-"

Nico held up a hand and shook his head. "It's ok, Percy. You were going to find out eventually, I shouldn't have gotten mad. Besides, your powers are probably still growing, I'm sure you didn't mean to."

Percy visibly relaxed and walked over to the bed. He sat down in front of Nico and placed a hand on Nico's knee. "I promise it was an accident. I don't like using my powers on you, and I'd never invade something so personal."

Nico gave him a lopsided smile. "It's alright."

"This is why you get uncomfortable with sex, isn't it?"

Nico nodded. "I know nothing happened, but I just can't help it."

Percy climbed farther onto the bed and slid an arm behind Nico's back. Nico let his head drop onto Percy's shoulder. "Why didn't you fight back? You just lost control."

Nico sighed. "I was still new to my powers, Percy. They really only responded to my anger back then. I just lost control, and I hadn't had any training to control myself yet. I hadn't even learned to fight yet," Nico explained.

"What had happened exactly?"

"It was after the rooftop incident. I was on the run, trying to avoid Kronos and Luke. I didn't have anywhere to go, and I didn't have any money. I kind of had it rough between the rooftop and finding Chiron."

"I'm sorry," Percy mumbled, pulling Nico closer to him.

"It's not your fault." He kissed Percy on the cheek. "It's not like I'll never be ready to have sex with you, I just need some time."

Percy smiled and kissed Nico on the lips. When they parted, Nico leaned forward, trying to make it last longer. "I understand, Nico. I'm not upset that you aren't trying to get into my pants. I can wait until you are ready." Nico smiled and pulled Percy into another kiss, the two of them falling down onto the bed. Percy pulled back and propped himself up. He brushed some of Nico's hair out of his eyes. "We'll go at your pace."

"I really appreciate that," Nico said, pressing his lips up against Percy's.

The door opened and Sally walked in. She cleared her throat and the two sprang apart. "It's getting late, Percy. I think you should get to your meditation," she stated, eyeing the two boys.

Percy nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright," he replied. Sally tossed them a final look before leaving the room. Percy turned back to Nico. He leaned in for a final kiss before getting off the bed. "I guess I need to go do that. I'll come back and say goodnight when I'm done." Nico nodded. Percy left the room and headed to the training room.

Thankfully, he found it empty. He plopped down in one of the corners and crossed his legs. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He concentrated on his breathing, clearing his mind as he let himself drift in the dark. He could feel his mind reaching out to a progressively wider field, touching more and more minds with each mile. He felt a tingling in his head, but paid it no mind. His mind soon started to drift off.

_"Percy."_

Percy snapped his eyes open, looking around the room, but no one was there. Percy closed his eyes again, trying to resume his breathing exercises.

_"Percy."_

Percy opened his eyes again. The room was still empty.

_"I know you can hear me, Percy," _The voice stated.

_"What the hell are you doing to me?" _Percy asked mentally. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, but he knew that voice.

_"I just wanted to talk, nothing more, nothing less."_

_ "Kronos?"_

_ "Very good, Percy."_

_ "How?" _Percy asked.

_ "I don't think you realize your full potential yet, Percy. Did you know that your telepathic link seems to extend to everyone in the city of New York?"_

Percy's eyes widened. He hadn't known that. Kronos must have found out somehow and found a way to send his thoughts directly to Percy. _"What do you want, Kronos?" _Percy asked.

_"As I said, just to talk. Would you meet with me? Just the two of us, so that we may talk."_

_ "You want me to trust you?"_

_ "Surely you have some questions. I have more I would like to discuss with you. Would you meet me at this location?" _The city flashed through Percy's mind, finally coming to rest in front of a large grey building. _"You have two hours."_

Percy's eyebrows furrowed. He stood up and made his way out of the training room. He entered the lab and spotted his parents standing in front of the large monitor. "Mom, dad, I have to talk to you," Percy called to them.

* * *

Percy walked through the dark parking lot, heading towards the building he had seen in his mind. He could make out a single figure standing in front of the building waiting for him. Percy finally came to a stop in front of Kronos, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm here, what is it you want?" Percy asked.

"That's not very polite, Percy. Where are your manners?" Kronos said, picking at one of his nails. Percy just stared back at him. Kronos sighed and let his hands drop. "I was hoping we could work something out. You and I would make great business partners. You'd make things so much easier, especially the part where I turn on the Consortium."

"Why would you betray them?"

Kronos shrugged. "They were just a means to an end. They helped me, so I helped them. They can get me what I want, but their usefulness will eventually come to an end."

"And what of my usefulness?" Percy asked. "Do I have an expiration date in your plans?"

Kronos chuckled. "Now, Percy, why would you think a thing like that? You are very valuable. I would never toss you aside. I had hoped we could be business partners. Think of all we could accomplish."

"You mean how I could enslave humanity for you?"

Kronos smirked. "That is one way of putting it, but think of the good it will do everyone. No more prejudices, no more bigotry, no more intolerance, all of that would be gone, and it would all be thanks to you," Kronos offered, gesturing at the city around them. "You could have a happy ever after. Don't you want that?"

"I don't need your happy ending, because it's a bitter one."

Kronos's smile dropped. "Now, Percy, I think you should think more on this. Are you sure this wouldn't be what is best for everyone? Just think about it? Everyone in the entire world would get along, discrimination would be a thing of the past."

"I don't know," Percy mumbled.

Kronos's smirk returned. "So you have been thinking about it. It would all be because of you, Percy. Their minds would be linked to yours. You would decide the way things work in the world. You could have a world where we don't have to hide what we are. You could live happily with Nico, without anyone being intolerant of the relationship you have."

"I have faith that the world can achieve harmony without your method," Percy shot back.

Kronos furrowed his eyebrows. "Is that so? Have you taken a look at the world you live in? It's gone to shit, Percy. Even Chiron knows this. He knows there is no hope in saving this world. Why should you share such a false hope? The world is lost, Percy. It needs you to save it."

Percy shook his head. "I don't want to be a part of this. I can't help you, Kronos," Percy replied.

Kronos frowned, letting out a sigh. "Pity. I'm afraid I can't let you leave here then." He snapped his fingers. Luke and Circe appeared on either side of Kronos, and then seconds later, Ethan appeared on the other side of Luke. "I'm afraid I couldn't risk it, Percy. I do apologize, but if you aren't going to join us, I can't let you live. You are just too powerful."

A sound caught everyone's attention. They all looked up to the sky to spot two objects flying towards them. Annabeth and Grover landed on the ground, cracking the pavement. Their helmets hid their faces from everyone, but Percy was certain it was them. "You didn't think we'd pass up on the party, now did you, Percy?" Grover said. Percy didn't have to see the smirk on his friend's face to know it was there.

"I'm ready to see what this thing can really do," Annabeth added, pointing one of her gauntlets at Kronos. Kronos frowned, but made no movement to do anything.

Shadows appeared on Percy's other side, Jason, Nico, and Apollo appearing from them. Jason smirked at Percy. "We weren't about to miss this either," the blond said.

"Oh good, everyone has come to me so they can die all at once," Kronos mused. "You have one chance to surrender and join us, or I'm afraid I'll be forced to terminate each of you."

"How about we terminate you?" Apollo countered. "We have you outmatched."

"Numbers make no difference." Kronos looked to his right. "Circe, deal with the blonds," he looked to his other side, "Ethan, deal with the super hero wannabes, and Luke, deal with your ex." All three of them smirked. Ethan raised his hands and Grover and Annabeth vanished. They fell through the air a few feet away, but they were able to catch themselves and fly the rest of the way down.

Luke ran at Nico, but the boy vanished, appearing on the other side of the parking lot. Luke growled and ran off after him. Circe flicked her hand at Jason and Apollo. The ground cracked and popped up at the blonds' feet. They went flying through the air, managing to land on their feet before hitting the ground.

Kronos fiddled with a ring on his hand, keeping his eyes on his hands. "I'm disappointed, Percy. I had really hoped you would come around," Kronos said sadly.

"I'm not going to let you carry out your plans, Kronos," Percy growled, gritting his teeth.

"Is that so? And how do you expect to stop me when you're dead?" Kronos's eyes sparked with amusement as he created an orange ball in his hand. It grew until it was the size of a model globe. He yelled and flung it at Percy.

Everyone froze when the ball exploded. They covered their face from the wave of the blast. "Percy!" Nico screamed. A plume of smoke rose from the spot that Percy had been standing moments ago, the ground around it having been reduced to rubble. Kronos cackled madly from his spot. Nico couldn't move. He could only stare in horror at the spot Percy had been standing seconds ago.

"So much for being the _perfect_ Special," Kronos laughed. His laughter was short lived however as the smoke cleared. Percy stood, untouched, in the same place he had been moments ago. He had one hand raised out in front of him, his palm open wide. A large kinetic sphere radiated around him. "Impossible!"

Kronos created another orange ball in each of his palms. He flung them both at Percy, but they just exploded off of the forcefield that Percy had created. Percy's eyes seemed distant as he stared at Kronos. He dropped his hand and the forcefield vanished. He yelled and pulled his elbows into his sides, fists clenched tightly. Kronos was flung backwards, into the building, which cracked when the kinetic force hit.

"This ends now, Kronos!" Percy yelled, dashing towards the building.

_So yes, should that smut scene still happen? I'm sure I'll still get some yes votes. But if I was in either Percy or Nico's shoes, I wouldn't be doing it, just saying. Percy is understanding. Nico is emotionally damaged. Things like sex, should take time for him to get in to. So, just take a moment to think on everything I've shown you since the beginning on Nico's character, and vote again. Though, I may take power into my own hands at the end, if I feel it doesn't fit. If anything, you can rest assured that it will be in the sequel. But yes, Nico almost got raped, that was his secret. And the thing with Percy reading his mind, he is growing into his powers, so accidents do happen with things like that. And also, while I didn't make it a huge Dragonball style moment, the part where Percy shields himself from Kronos's attack is his 'ascendance to power'. He now is in full control of his abilities, and is ready to kick some ass. Anyways, next time I'm not sure what will happen. The final battle, obviously. Um. It might include the wrap up part of the story. It really depends on how long I make the showdown last for. But then the epilogue will be after that. So, we either have two or three chapters left. Anyways, I will see you guys next time._


	19. Chapter 19

_I'm glad you all enjoyed last chapter. So, a few things before we start. If you don't want to read the sequel, this is the last chapter you should read. So, if you don't want to read the sequel, your journey stops at the end of this chapter. Now, if you do want to read it, you'll all be getting one more chapter. I finished the epilogue and it will be out either Tuesday or Wednesday. After that, I'll be going on my hiatus, so if you need me for anything I suggest messaging me now. Anyways, let's do shout outs._

_RestlessHeart182: It's ok. I'll be back soon. It is hard. I need to get a job :(. He does, but tragic Nico is always interesting. It is. Well, it ends for anyone not wanting a sequel this chapter, and next chapter for everyone else._

_ClosetedBi: Oh, it does. Well, you just might get that wish. Yes, but happiness doesn't have to come through sex. Nico would probably end up crying during sex if he wasn't ready. Emotional damage._

_Acirejacksonmellark57: Thank you! Well, I'm glad you didn't, cause then you wouldn't be able to finish. I'm glad you think so :D. I love long reviews. And no! You have seen my war strategy for blowing up your fic with Percy topping reviews._

_DarkLove: Only for a little while. I'd never abandon you guys. Oh, it'll be longer than one week. I won't be back until I have my new fic completely built, and it seems like a lot more work now._

_ : I know :(. It felt so weird writing this chapter and the next one. It's the first multi-chapter fic I've finished, and it was so strange. I have high hopes for the sequel. Well, I'm glad you understand._

_Luckyducky: Yeah, I think a few people figured it out. He did, but that's always a fun part of his character. I shall be back soon!_

_MadlyMagical: Too much gayness! Ha. I've only taken the basic English courses. I do have psychology training, though. Well, he's pretty awesome I think this chapter._

_percyjackson: Sad day. Thank you! I'm glad you feel that way, cause there isn't one :P._

_Awesome older sibling: I thought so. I'm sorry? Ha. Hyperness. I hope it shall be too. I'll miss all the love while I'm gone. It is still PJO. I would say pics or it didn't happen, but you know..._

_Make-it-Now: I'm still in shock at your vote. What did Nico do?_

_Guest: Are you the guest that I loved in Sola? I feel so confused when I don't have a name to go with. Oh no, I don't get flames. I'm not really sure why, but I'm not complaining. Haha. I haven't read that thing yet. I wasn't sure how I'd like it. Hmm. Should I know this Xed Alpha?_

_Reining: Yeah, you need to be updating. Thank you. I really feel like I need one. I have too, and that's the big reason for the break. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But I regret to say that may be the last we see of insane Nico. I don't have a plan for any flashbacks to appear in the sequel, and for obvious risks to Nico's health, it won't be coming back. I'm glad you understand._

_Happykid44: I'll try ^.^. Haha. I'm sorry. You'll have to see if your message got delivered. I suppose that is a good distraction for everyone. They'll too busy to notice I'm gone._

_LizziDaughterofHades: Late night readings ftw. I'm going to try my best. I have a lot of stuff to get situated in my real life before I come back as well._

_Veerayne: It's ok :D. I thought it was a fun turn of events. Taking the story from black and white to a grey area._

_PinkRenegade: Thank you. Hmm. So, you wanted me to detail Nico getting raped by older men? Well, he didn't get raped, but came close. Anyways, the detail was like it was because Percy was seeing it through Nico's eyes. So, he wouldn't really see what was happening behind Nico. He'd only have Nico's senses. So detail to what was going on is limited. Also, telepathy flashbacks work in flashes. So, Percy probably saw it all in a matter of seconds. Yes. It is technically done this chapter if you don't want to read the sequel. It'll end next chapter if you do want to read the sequel. Um. The sequel will probably take the posting day for whatever is open when I publish it._

_TheWebmaster: I'm glad you agree, cause I opted not to go that route. Haha. That probably won't be happening._

_RobinsArt: You see all and know all. Well, something else to take into account is their age. While I myself, being around their age group, cuss like a sailor sometimes, it's done in a certain way. Most college kids don't speak like what you're saying. So, while they will use language, it has to be done in just a certain way. The way you are describing sounds more high school to me. Sally just doesn't understand. I think he's got those two things covered._

_DawnScarlet: Like I said, I know I can't please everyone, and I'd be killing myself if I tried. Well I'm glad._

_DrunkonCookies: Well, we already cleared up who Tom really is. They do, I saw it with my own eyes._

_So, I got to thinking about writing something original again. And I think if I were ever to try publishing something, I might go the route of dark fairytales. Something maybe of a blend of Pan's Labyrinth and the Tim Burton's version of Alice and Wonderland. Like the Grimm Brothers. Their stories were originally dark. I blame Disney for corrupting them. Hmm. We'll see. Anyways, I don't have much else to say until the end, so let's get on with it._

_Warning: Violence and death!_

_Disclaimer: Ponies on fire!_

Chapter 19

Percy jogged to a halt inside the building, trying to locate Kronos, but the man was nowhere to be found. He spun around at the sound of glass cracking. He barely had enough time to shield himself as an explosion went off in front of him, sending him flying backwards. He was yanked off the ground by Kronos and tossed into a nearby wall.

Kronos grabbed a fist full of hair from the back of Percy's head and smashed Percy's head into the cracked wall. Percy's vision blurred as his head was repeatedly smashed into the wall. He growled and thrust his palms against the wall, shattering it and flinging him and Kronos backwards.

Percy straddled Kronos and punched to the man's jaw. Percy was about to deliver another blow when Kronos grabbed a wooden beam from the shattered wall and smashed it against Percy's head. Percy fell off with a cry of pain. He climbed back to his feet, clutching the back of his head. He pulled his hand away to see it lightly stained with blood.

Percy's eyes flickered to Kronos, who had a wild look in his eye. "It doesn't have to be this way, Percy," Kronos snarled.

Percy shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. I'll always be here, standing in the way of people like you," Percy shot back. He wiped a hand across his mouth and spit some blood onto the ground.

"What good do you really think you are doing, boy? You're only going to make things worse."

"No, you're what's wrong with this world, and I'm not going to let you make it worse than it already is."

Kronos growled and threw an orange energy ball at Percy. Percy dodged to the side, falling behind a wall as the ball exploded. Percy coughed as the debris settled. Kronos used his distracted state to his advantage, socking him in the jaw. Percy doubled over, glaring up at Kronos. "When are you going to understand the way the world works, Percy?" Kronos said, shaking his head. "You have no idea what you're getting involved in."

"I know enough to know that I shouldn't trust you."

Kronos chuckled. He created another ball in his hand, but Percy thrust his hand out, sending Kronos flying up into the ceiling. Percy stared up at the ceiling for a moment before looking at his hands. He breathed in deep and shut his eyes. Using all of his concentration, Percy slowly lifted himself off the ground. He rose through the hole in the ceiling, only to be grabbed by Kronos and tossed along the floor.

Kronos chuckled as he strolled up to Percy's panting form. "This world needs people like me, Percy. Chiron would never admit it, but he needed me where I was," Kronos said, crouching down in front of Percy.

"No, he doesn't," Percy whispered, reaching out and flinging Kronos across the room with his mind. He held on to Kronos and tossed the man like a rag doll along the wall and the floor, until he hit the far wall of the building.

"You really are amazing, Percy," Kronos praised him, swiping his thumb across his lip. "Have you forgotten the dream I showed you?"

Percy furrowed his eyebrows at Kronos. He stared off to the side, thinking back. "Like the one with Luke, that one was altered. You were just trying to scare me away from Nico."

Kronos tossed his head back in a laugh. "You are so blind, Percy." He tossed another ball at Percy, catching him off guard. Percy sailed through the air, slamming into the wall behind him.

* * *

Circe curled a fist up against her, bringing a chunk of pavement up into the air. She flicked her wrist and sent it flying at Jason, who was attempting to charge her. He crouched under the piece of rock and kept running at her. Circe's eyes widened as she grasped out for the nearby light pole. She tossed it at Jason, catching him in the stomach.

Apollo flung his hand out, sending a ball of fire at Circe. It scorched the side of her face. She screeched in pain as she clutched at the burn. Apollo ran over to Jason and helped him get the light pole off him. He extended his hand down and helped Jason up just as a bench hit him in the back.

Jason growled and raised his hand to the air. He brought it crashing down, bringing a bolt of lightning from the sky with it. The blast blew Circe off her feet, flinging her onto the hood of a car. Jason's eyes sparked as he held his hands out, lightning shooting from his palms. Circe screamed and flung herself off of the car as it exploded.

Apollo had climbed back to his feet and whipped his arm, sending a lash of flame whipping at Circe. The flame caught her around the ankle and Apollo jerked his hand back, causing the flame to rip Circe's leg out from under her. Apollo and Jason shared a look as they approached the unmoving woman.

The ground erupted at their feet, blasting them into the air. They landed roughly on the concrete, Jason landing on the discarded bench. "Such a shame to ruin such a pretty face," Circe said gently, reaching down and yanking Apollo up by his hair.

"Fuck off, bitch, he's mine!" Jason yelled, tossing a wooden board from the bench and hitting Circe in the head with it. Circe spun around, growling at Jason. Sparks crackled around Jason's body. He whipped his arm and sending an arc of electricity at her. Circe snapped her fingers in an upwards motion, making the ground rise in front of her to block the blast.

Apollo grunted and formed a fireball in his hand. He threw it at the ground, where it erupted at his and Circe's feet. She released his hair and scrambled backwards, where Jason and Apollo targeted her with fire and electricity. When they stopped, Circe lay on the ground, coughing. Her clothes were scorched and her body was smoking.

She laughed at the two as they approached her. "What? Are you go-going to kill me now?" She coughed. "You don't have the balls. You couldn't do it last time, and you won't do it now."

Jason's eyes crackled. "Last time, my dad was still alive," he said, crouching down over her. He pressed his thumb, index, middle, and ring finger all together and a small ball of electricity sparked to life. He grabbed Circe's jaw and forced her mouth open. "I hope you rot in hell, bitch." He pressed his fingers to her opened mouth and the electricity flew inside. He stood back up as she started convulsing on the ground. Her insides flashed as the electricity expanded inside of her body. Apollo pursed his lips and averted his eyes, but Jason didn't take his eyes off of her. The electricity finally erupted, ruptured shreds of her skin falling from her body.

Apollo exhaled silently as he looked over at Jason, who was still watching her corpse smolder. "Jason?" Apollo whispered, reaching out to touch Jason's shoulder.

Jason flinched and turned to look at Apollo. "I'm fine," he mumbled, pulling his arm away from Apollo.

"No, you're not. You didn't have to do that. You're not ok, Jason. Don't let this affect you."

"I just want this to be over," Jason whispered.

* * *

Grover brought a small canon out of the top of his gauntlet. He fired a concussive energy blast at Ethan, who vanished before it hit. Ethan appeared a few feet away and made a car appear above Grover. Grover raised his hands and caught the car, tossing it at the teleporter. Ethan's face contorted in concentration and the car vanished again.

Annabeth charged Ethan, jumping into the air and starting the jetpack. She flew through the air and tackled the Asian boy. He punched at the helmet, but only managed to injure his hand. She flung him into a light pole, where he fell to the ground. Grover shot another concussive blast, sending Ethan flying. Before Ethan could hit the ground, he ported himself away, appearing on Grover's back. He now had a rock in his hand, which he used to attempt smashing in the back of the suit. Grover shot himself up into the air. He drove himself backwards, but Ethan vanished before they smashed against the ground.

Ethan appeared a few feet away, but Annabeth was ready for him. She was close by, and backhanded him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Ethan wheezed on the ground. Annabeth stalked up to him, bringing out her own mini canon. Ethan leered at her and vanished again. Ethan stumbled when he reappeared, crouching over to catch his breath.

Annabeth shot out a blue metal ball from her other gauntlet. It rolled up to Ethan where it started to glow. It emitted a blue electrical field around Ethan. Ethan cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, curling into himself.

"That'll hold you," Annabeth said with a smirk. "Can't go anywhere without your powers."

"Nice work, Annabeth," Grover congratulated her. They bumped fists with their metal gloves and smirked at Ethan.

Ethan groaned in pain as the electric current flowed through his body. He stretched his hand out towards a car, putting all the energy he could into it. Half of the car vanished, much to Annabeth and Grover's astonishment. The other half of the car landed on top of the metal ball, crushing it. Ethan panted and pulled himself to his feet. He smirked as he wiped a hand across his mouth, smearing the blood that had started to pour from his nose.

"When are you people going to realize that we are better than you?" Ethan asked, licking the blood from his lips. "It's pointless to fight us, we are the future." He raised his hand to teleport another car, but stopped when Annabeth started laughing.

Ethan didn't notice as Annabeth and Grover's canons started transforming into larger ones. Annabeth smirked at Ethan. "No, you're just another asshole like everyone else," she spat venomously. Annabeth and Grover raised their arms and released large blasts at Ethan.

When the smoke cleared, Ethan lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Annabeth and Grover forced themselves to look at his newly mutilated form. He was missing his right arm, a hole had been blown in his side, and the left side of his jaw was destroyed. Chunks of his chest had also been blown away, revealing some of his organs and ribcage to the two.

Ethan opened his mouth to try and talk, but couldn't manage to form any words while he was grasping for breath. His body finally stopped moving and his head fell back against the concrete as his blood spilled out onto the ground around him.

* * *

Nico kicked at Luke, but Luke grabbed Nico's leg and flung him into the side of a nearby car. Nico grunted as he hit the ground. Luke grabbed Nico's neck and slammed his head back against the metal. Nico pooled the shadows in his hand, forming his shadow dagger. When Luke attempted to slam his head another time, he thrust the dagger into Luke's leg.

Luke howled in pain, releasing Nico. Nico gasped for breath as he stumbled away from Luke. Luke growled, shooting a death glare at Nico. He stepped towards Nico. A ball of light sparked to life in Nico's hand. He pressed his free hand to the back of his other hand and thrust his hand forward. A beam of light erupted and shot out at Luke, blasting him back against the car.

Luke stumbled out of the wreckage a few moments later, pulling a piece of glass from his arm. "You're really starting to fucking annoy me, baby," Luke panted.

"I'm not yours anymore!" Nico yelled. A large shadow hand rose from the ground and grabbed Luke by the chest. It thrust Luke up into the air before yanking him back into the pavement. The shadow hand disappeared back into the ground as Luke picked himself back up.

Luke licked his cut lip. "You'll always be mine, Nico." Luke walked up to Nico and brushed a hand against the side of his face.

"Not anymore." Nico kicked Luke in the side of his ribs. Luke's face contorted in slight pain as he stumbled to the side.

Luke chuckled to himself. "When are you going to learn that it'll take more than that to beat me?" He lunged at Nico and pinned him to the ground. He yanked on Nico's hair, forcing his head to the side, exposing his neck. "Don't fight it Nico. You can't beat me without that dark part of your powers."

Luke leaned in and bit Nico's neck. Nico squirmed under him, trying in vain to push Luke off of him. "I'm not yours to touch!" Nico yelled. A shadow slid out from his back and impaled Luke through the shoulder. It pushed Luke off of Nico and pinned him to the ground. Nico retracted the shadow and stood up. Luke gaped at him from his spot on the ground. "I don't need berserker rage to beat you."

Luke clutched his shoulder as he stood back up. A smirk spread across his face. "I'm going to enjoy this." He rushed forward and picked Nico up. He threw the smaller boy through the air. Nico bounced across the ground, until he finally came to a stop. Nico tried to pick himself up, but stumbled. Blood dripped down his forehead and the side of his arm.

"I should have killed you back on the rooftop," Nico growled.

Luke smirked, shaking his head. "But you couldn't, and you never will be able to. Do you know why?" Nico only continued to glare at him. "You couldn't do it because you cared about me too much."

"Cared being the key word in that statement," Nico panted. "Unfortunately for you, you no longer have that as protection."

"You wouldn't," Luke snarled.

"You died to me back on the roof when I gave you back your necklace. The Luke I cared about is long gone."

Luke stared coldly at Nico. "We could have been so happy together, if you would have just given Kronos a chance."

Nico's eyes darted off to the side for a few moments before returning to Luke. He shook his head. "You're wrong. I belong with Percy, and I don't need you anymore."

Luke's nostrils flared as he rushed Nico. Nico vanished, appearing behind Luke as he continued to run. Nico pressed his hands together as he held his palms forward. A large beam of white light shot out from his hands and blasted Luke. When the light faded, casting the area back into darkness, Luke lay coughing on the ground. His clothes were tattered and he had a few cuts on his body, but otherwise looked unharmed. Nico walked up to him in silence, emotionlessly staring down at him.

Luke started to chuckle, but ended up throwing himself into a coughing fit. "I guess I underestimated you," he mumbled, collapsing back onto the ground. He smirked up at Nico. "You don't realize what you're doing, do you?"

Nico glared at him. "I know perfectly well what I'm doing. I'm stopping you from ruining the world more than it already is."

Luke shook his head, his smirk still in place. "You've only managed to doom yourself, or should I say, to help Percy doom us all," he whispered.

Nico's eyes covered in shadows and he growled at Luke. "Percy is saving us all. He's going to kill Kronos, and you will all fail."

Luke started laughing, but began wheezing for breath. "You're a fool. Why don't you just take us somewhere quiet and get me fixed up? We both know you aren't going to have the balls to finish me off. I don't care if you say that you don't care for me, I know you still have feelings for me. You miss me."

Nico's face remained cold as he listened to Luke talk. He then started nodding silently. A smile spread across Luke's lips. Luke's eyes widened as a shadow tentacle rose from the ground and impaled him. "I'm missing you already."

* * *

The roof exploded, and Percy's body sailed up into the air. He landed on top of the building, rolling over in pain. His eyes dilated and the roof cracked. Kronos yelled as his body was flung through the hole in the roof and was thrown across the ground. Kronos panted and stumbled his way back to his feet. He dusted himself off and faced Percy. Percy staggered as he took a step forward.

"Why do you keep fighting, Percy? This is pointless. It doesn't have to be this way," Kronos tried reasoning.

Percy wiped his forehead, his breathing now turned heavy. "There is no other way. You want to enslave the human race, and I can't let you do that," Percy panted.

"So, you'd kill yourself to stop me?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Foolish, boy."

Percy glared at Kronos and thrust his hand out, grabbing Kronos with his mind. He jerked his hand back and pulled Kronos forward. As Kronos flew at him, Percy caught Kronos in the face with a punch. Kronos dropped to the ground. Percy rubbed at his hand, shaking off the pain.

Kronos snapped his fingers and a miniature explosion went off in front of Percy. Percy stumbled back, rubbing at his eyes. Kronos was on him before he could regain his bearings. Kronos wrapped his hands around Percy's neck, slamming his head against the rocky ground of the roof. Percy raised his legs and vaulted Kronos off of him. He held his fist out and slammed his palm down towards the ground. Kronos, who was attempting to get back to his feet, was slammed back down onto the ground.

Percy ripped a plastic pipe from the roof and brought it to his hand. He marched up to Kronos and swung it at Kronos's head. Kronos sputtered and fell onto his side, spitting up some blood. "Are you going to kill me, Percy?" he wheezed.

"You leave me little choice," Percy replied.

Kronos growled and flung an orange orb at Percy. Percy raised his palm and erected a barrier around himself, the explosion harmlessly going off in front of him. He leaned down and grabbed Kronos by his collar, yanking the man up. He thrust him against the stone wall of the building. "Then just get it over with, boy," rasped Kronos. Percy panted as he glared hatefully at Kronos. His pupils dilated and he forced himself into Kronos's mind.

* * *

Kronos pushed through the door, a folder under his arm. A younger Ethan sat in a chair at a long table. Kronos sat down at the head of the table, next to Ethan. He pulled the file out from under his arm and opened it up on the table. He leaned back in his chair and looked at Ethan. The boy was clutching his left eye, which had a dark cloth on it.

Kronos's jaw tightened. "Did one of your parents do that to you?" Kronos asked, pointing at Ethan's eye.

Ethan nodded. "My mom, she called me a f-freak and tried t-to kill me," Ethan stuttered.

Kronos rubbed at his chin and looked down at the file. "Ethan Nakamura. Power to teleport yourself and others, interesting. You seem like a talented young man, Ethan." Kronos offered him a warm smile and reached out to pat Ethan's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about your mother anymore, she can't hurt you here."

Ethan nodded, his hands trembling. "T-Thank you, sir."

"I'd like for you to meet one of my other boys." Kronos pressed a button on an intercom in front of him and spoke again. "Can you send in Luke, please?" A few seconds later, a younger looking Luke walked through the door. "Ethan, I'd like for you to meet Luke. He's like you, and I think you two will be very good friends." Kronos offered Ethan a warm smile. He looked up at Luke. "Get him seen after. Take him to his room and make him feel at home."

Luke gave a sad smile and helped Ethan out of his chair. He led the boy out of the room. The intercom buzzed a few moments later. "Sir, another one just arrived. Would you like for me to send her in?" the voice asked.

Kronos pressed the button to talk. "Yes, please do. Thank you," he said gently.

A younger Circe was led into the room and was seated next to Kronos. Her escort handed Kronos a folder and left the room. Kronos gave her a smile and patted her hand. He opened the file and looked it over. "Circe Wilburn," Kronos read over the file. He paused and made an impressed expression. "You have the power of magic?" He leaned back in his chair.

"Yes," Circe whispered.

"Tell me, what happened?"

"I was run out of my town. They wanted to burn me for being a witch."

Kronos's eyebrows rose. "In this day and age? When will people really change?" He let out a long sigh. "You're from the south?" Circe nodded. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He took her hand in his and patted it with his other hand. "I can assure you that you will not be treated in such a manner in this organization."

* * *

Kronos now appeared to be much younger, about the same age as Percy. He sat at a diner with a menu in his hand. He looked up as the door dinged. A younger Chiron and a young woman walked into the diner. They walked up to Kronos and Chiron gestured at the woman next to him. "Kronos, I'd like you to meet Rhea. Rhea, this is the friend I was telling you about," Chiron introduced the two of them.

Chiron sat down across from Kronos, while Rhea smiled and sat down next to Kronos. Kronos turned his head and smiled awkwardly at the young woman. He cleared his throat. "So, how did you two meet?" Kronos asked.

"Oh, well, we are in the same class together, and I missed class last week and needed to borrow some notes, so I went to Chiron," Rhea explained.

"We got partnered in lab this week, as well," Chiron continued.

Kronos nodded. "Well, hopefully you have better luck at reading Chiron's handwriting than I do," Kronos joked.

Chiron and Kronos caught each other's eyes. "If you two will excuse me, I need to go use the restroom," Chiron announced. He got up and headed towards the bathroom, leaving the two alone.

Kronos fidgeted nervously in his seat, while Rhea giggled at him. "You're very shy," she observed.

"Only around pretty girls," Kronos said with a smile.

Rhea smiled at him. "You think I'm pretty?" Kronos nodded. "Well, I think you are quite handsome."

Kronos chuckled and cleared his throat. "If-If it wouldn't be too much to ask, would you like to go see a movie this Friday night?" he asked nervously.

Her smile widened. "I'd love to."

* * *

Kronos appeared to be a few years older. He sat beside a bed with a children's book in his hands. In the bed was a small boy with black hair and green eyes. The boy listened with wide eyes as his father read to him about a knight that slayed a dragon to save a beautiful princess. When the story got to a jumpy part, the child jumped and the lights in the room flashed. Kronos sent him a playfully scolding look out of the corner of his eye.

The child giggled and rolled around in his bed. Kronos kept reading, the child settling down once again to listen to the story. When Kronos finished, he sat the book down on a nearby bookshelf and tucked his now sleeping son into bed. He placed a kiss on the child's forehead and turned off the nearby lamp.

He looked up to find Rhea smiling at him in the doorway. "Well, aren't my two men adorable?" she joked.

Kronos smiled and shook his head. "They grow up fast, don't they?" he said, kissing his wife.

"They really do." She pursed her lips and walked ahead of him towards the living room. She sat down on the couch and looked at him with concern. "They called again while you were out today."

Kronos's gaze hardened. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I told them that you didn't want to be part of this 'U.N.I.T.' thing that they are working on."

"And?"

"They weren't happy. They see you as a threat."

Kronos sighed. "Just because I don't want to join them, and it's not like I'm going around blowing people up. I just want to live my life with my family," he stated hotly.

"I know, dear, I'm just worried that-" Rhea was cut off by an explosion.

Kronos coughed as he pushed a piece of the wreckage of his home off of him. "Rhea?" he shouted. "Rhea? Jake?" He frantically started digging through the rubble. He finally found Rhea's arm poking out from the debris. He panicked and flung the debris off of her, finding her limp body underneath. He started shaking as he pulled her lifeless body up against his.

He turned his head as more panic washed over him. His son. He gently laid Rhea's body down and fumbled towards the spot where Jake's room had been. He threw more debris as he dug for his son. He finally uncovered the bed, finding Jake's bloody corpse lying on the floor next to it. Kronos's body shook as he wept over his son, gently running his fingers through Jake's blood soaked hair.

* * *

Percy pushed himself into Kronos's consciousness, gritting his teeth. _"Do you understand now, Percy? This world is a disease, it is evil, and it needs to be purged."_

Percy shook his head, trying to brush the thoughts away. He searched further, trying to find answers. Inside he found regret. Images of a building on fire. Burned bodies strewn across the ground. Mercenaries. Kronos standing outside. _"If only we had gotten there sooner, perhaps the villagers could have been saved."_

_ "My family. Dead. My best friend joined them."_

_ "Change is coming, Percy. Will you be ready for it?"_

_ "Every action has a consequence. Will you be able to handle yours?"_

_ "You've only made it worse, stupid boy."_

_ "I wanted a perfect world. A perfect world where people no longer suffered. Can you bring the world to this prosperity, Percy? Can you do what needs to be done? Will you be ready? Can you protect those dearest to you? They'll take everything from you, Percy. Everything. You need me. The world needs me, more than any of you know."_

Percy's eyes snapped open, blazing with fury. "You're wrong!" he shouted, thrusting Kronos against the wall behind him. He watched as Kronos started laughing madly.

_"You know nothing, Percy Jackson!"_

Percy clenched his teeth and his fists. His pupils dilated, covering his eyes in black. Percy's body calmed down, which unnerved Kronos, causing the man to stop laughing. Percy just stood there and watched Kronos a moment, Kronos's only movement being the rise and fall of his chest. "Who told you to breathe?" Percy asked.

Kronos's eyes widened as he clutched his throat. He fell to his knees, trying to pound against his chest. He tried in vain to get breath into his lungs as Percy just stared down at him. Kronos's face started to turn blue and he fell over on his side.

The darkness in Percy's eyes retracted back into his pupils as his vision started to blur. He clutched his head as the world around him started to spin. He heard yelling from behind him, but couldn't get himself to turn around. Blood started to fall from his nose. Percy could hear Kronos's heartbeat start to fade, his vision shaking with each slowing thump.

Percy collapsed onto the ground next to Kronos. He looked up as Nico appeared over him, his voice sounding distant. Nico grabbed Percy's hands frantically. He mouthed the word 'stop'. Nico panicked and leaned in closer to Percy. "Percy! Percy, you have to stop or you'll die!" Nico yelled, but it came out muffled to Percy.

Percy shattered the link and gasped for breath. Nico breathed a sigh of relief. "Wh-What happened?" Percy barely managed to get out.

"You're an idiot, that's what," Nico said, looking near to tears. "Percy, you could have killed yourself if you stayed in his head while he died."

Percy turned his head to look at Kronos, who had stopped moving. Dead. He was dead. Percy had killed him. Percy tried to catch his breath as he rested his head in Nico's lap. "Everyone else?" Percy rasped out.

"Everyone's fine." Nico let out a long breath as he ran a hand through Percy's sweat soaked hair. "Dammit, Percy, don't scare me like that again."

Percy smiled weakly up at Nico, letting his eyes drift close. "Sorry," he mumbled.

* * *

Percy scrunched his eyes together, being brought out of a well-deserved sleep by the sound of the TV in the lab. He groaned and buried his head further into the crook of Nico's neck. He wrapped his arm tighter around Nico's waist and pulled him back against himself, Nico rubbing their intertwined legs together in response.

The door to Nico's room opened and Percy looked up to see Grover in the doorway. "Percy, get up, you got to come see the news!" Grover exclaimed with a bright smile.

Percy glared at him and waved for him to go away. "Sleep, Grover, I just want to sleep," Percy whined. He yawned and rolled onto his back. Grover sighed and left the room.

Nico rolled over and laid his head on Percy's shoulder. "Don't you want to know what the news is about?" Nico asked.

Percy yawned again. "Not particularly. I'm still exhausted," he replied. Nico hummed to himself and trailed his fingers across Percy's bare torso. Percy smiled. "What are you thinking about?"

Nico drew a circle in the center of Percy's chest. "Just thinking. I don't think everything has sunk in yet."

Percy nodded. "I know what you mean. What are you going to do now?"

Nico sighed. "I don't know. I never really planned for this day," he mumbled.

Percy smiled and placed a kiss on Nico's forehead. "I was hoping you might come and live with me at my apartment, and maybe start college."

Nico closed his eyes and let a smile spread across his lips. "I'll think about it. Moving in together makes me a little nervous, but considering I don't really have anywhere else to live, I guess I don't have much choice."

"As someone once told me, you'll always have a choice."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Stop quoting me," he grumbled.

The door opened again Poseidon poked his head inside. Percy groaned. "Get up, both of you. You need to come see the news," he ordered.

"Yeah, okay," Percy replied, sitting up in bed. Poseidon withdrew his head from the room. Percy stretched and looked back down at Nico. He crawled on top of the smaller boy and locked their lips together. "I could get used to this."

Nico smiled and crawled out from underneath Percy. The two of them threw some clothes on, having only slept in their underwear, and exited Nico's room. Everyone had gathered around the large monitor in the lab, watching the news.

"Police are still baffled about what went on here last night," the news reporter said. "It appears as if an attack of some sort occurred here, but what baffles our officers is that no one appeared to be here when they arrived. Witnesses reportedly claim that they tried contacting the authorities while this strange event was occurring, but the officer on the phone said it was nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, police in the surrounding area report to have received orders to relocate their patrol. Will we ever have an answer to the strange occurrence here last night? Hopefully someone will be able to deliver us some answers."

Athena froze the TV. "Look," she said, enlarging a portion of the screen.

Percy's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man in the background. "Zeus," he growled. He didn't look happy as he surveyed the scene. "What's he doing there?"

"He probably got called to check the scene out. He's not happy because someone did his job for him," Chiron explained, a frown on his face.

Poseidon turned the monitor off. "Percy, Chiron and I would like to have a word with you," Poseidon stated. The others all looked at Percy as they walked off. Percy let out a long breath as he waited for one of the two men in front of him to say something.

"Yes?" Percy asked.

"Firstly, I want to say that I'm proud of you, son. What you did last night was extraordinary."

Percy smiled at his father. Chiron cleared his throat. "It truly was, Percy. You were the one we were looking for. I can say without a doubt that you are the strongest of the Omegas," Chiron praised him.

"But, that also means you could be in the most danger. While Chiron and the others did slip the Omega file out of Zeus's hands, he will still know you are on that list," Poseidon continued.

"I did take the precaution of having the others remove as much as they could about Percy from U.N.I.T.'s files.

Percy smirked. "Just like our first semester of college, Chiron. We would have gotten in so much trouble if we had gotten caught," Percy said with a chuckle. Poseidon and Chiron stared at him in shock and confusion. Chiron had his mouth hanging slightly open, a look of mild horror written on his face. "What?"

Chiron's eyebrows furrowed. "Percy, where did you get that information?"

Percy's face contorted into confusion. The memory was there, but there was something wrong about it. He couldn't remember anything from before or after it, just one flash of memory. He and Chiron couldn't have gone to college together, though. Percy scratched his head as he continued to think.

"I think you should let your mother and I have a look at you later, Percy," Poseidon said with a voice of finality.

Percy's heartbeat quickened. "What's happening to me?" Percy whispered, his voice sounding panicked.

"Percy, I think you've retained memories from Kronos. We can only hope that that is all that was seared into your mind," Chiron explained, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder.

Percy ran a hand across his face, panic still evident in his eyes. "Am I going to be alright?"

"We're going to try and sort it out," Poseidon assured him. "We just need time to examine you. For now, try to enjoy yourself. You accomplished what you were supposed to do, now try and enjoy your life. It's finally over, Percy."

Percy nodded, but was still in a state of slight shock. He walked off towards the elevator. He boarded it and headed up to the roof. He walked outside and sat down on the ledge of the building, looking down at the city below him. If it was really over, why did something feel wrong? Percy couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness. He couldn't explain it. It was just like something didn't add up.

The things that Kronos had said to him last night were still weighing down on him. The memories were still there, freshly seared into his mind. With all of it there, he just felt like there was more to this than they were seeing. Things locked together in the course of history, like a large domino effect. A course of events, all leading up to this one point in time, but he wasn't even sure it was this exact moment that everything was leading to.

It was supposed to lead to the end, but to Percy, it didn't feel like an end. It felt more like a beginning. If it wasn't for all the things Kronos had said, Percy might look at it differently, but he couldn't now. Everything, even before Percy had gotten involved, fit together so well.

It had all started because of the death of Kronos's family. His son, Jake, still haunted Percy. He looked similar to Percy. Had that been why Kronos had taken such an interest in him? Wanting to bring back the ghost of his son through Percy? Kronos was broken after that, hating the world. Next was Kronos's visit with Chiron. Chiron could have stopped it, but fate did not agree. Kronos then left to go to Texas, looking for Nico. He had killed Nico's family, possibly the cause of Nico's damaged psyche. When Nico wouldn't join Kronos, Kronos went to Luke. He manipulated the boy and got him to join the Consortium. He drove the two against each other, wanting Nico's fury. He saw Nico as a tool, a tool in the journey to changing the world.

Rachel then had her vision about the event that transpired last night. An event to change the world. The rise and fall of the two opposing organizations. After that, everyone began their search for Percy, without any luck, until Percy decided to stop taking his medication. Finally, Nico saved Percy. He saved Percy so that Percy could fulfill what he was supposed to do in Rachel's dream. It all played out, like a game of chess. Piece by piece fell into place, causing the next piece to fall, until the dream happened. The moment Percy killed Kronos. Why didn't it seem like it was over then?

The nightmare. Something about it was bothering Percy. Kronos had brought it up before he had died, but why was it important? It was just a tactic to scare Percy away from U.N.I.T., wasn't it? Another event hat Percy was supposed to have caused, if he went with Nico, which he did. Had he saved the world? Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps Kronos was just trying to make Percy falter.

Percy rubbed at his forehead and nodded to himself. He jumped off the ledge and headed back to the door to the building, finding Nico there waiting for him. "Are you alright?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. "I'm fine, just thinking about everything," Percy assured him. "I think I just need some more rest."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to get plenty of that now. It's all over and we can move on with our lives."

Percy smiled and leaned down to kiss Nico. He smiled as he pulled back. "Yeah, you're right," he said, leading Nico back into the lab. The world was safe for now, and that's all that mattered.

_So, I'm not really going to do a run through of the chapter like I usually do. Bragi is going to come in a second and bid farewell to anyone not wanting to read the sequel. So, if you don't want to read the sequel, I want to remind you that this is the end for you. Don't read the next chapter if you want it to end here. I gave you a happy ending that can please you, but next chapter will end on the note of a sequel. So, if this is the end for you, I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm sad to see the story end. It's been fun. But if you are going to read next chapter, I'll have you for one more chapter. Now, let's talk with Bragi._

_SoH: So, this is the end for some people, I guess. I'm not really sure. It's been a fun journey, though. What do you think?_

_Bragi: Meh._

_SoH: So talkative. Three months ago we started, and we are finally finished. I know you are so happy since you hate this fic._

_Bragi: I don't hate the fic, I simply didn't enjoy it as much as you did._

_SoH: Actually, this fic might have been a large part of my stress, that or AToLaT. But you said you liked this chapter. Percy was badass. Nico was badass. Everyone was badass. And it ends on a happy note for anyone not wanting to read the sequel. Everyone is happy._

_Bragi: Well, I suppose happy endings can be a good thing. I just find them boring, hence, why I'm more enthused about the sequel than this fic._

_SoH: That's just because I made the epilogue awesome and build suspense to the sequel. But is there anything you would like to say to any of the readers not returning?_

_Bragi: I hope you all enjoyed the many balance issues, which were the result of innumerable hours of nagging and critiques that were answered with yet more innumerable hours of whining and complaining._

_SoH: ...You would find some way to take a swing at me. And is there anything you would like to say to those who will be joining us next chapter?_

_Bragi: I am sure you will all enjoy this next chapter far more than you think, despite any and all unmentionable events which may, it is hoped, jerk tears and elicit pallor stricken reactions._

_Well, there you go. Well, if you are done reading, it's been fun and I'll see you in another fic hopefully. If you're going to read the epilogue, I'll see you in chapter 20. Until next time._


	20. Chapter 20

_I would get sick the day I go on hiatus. Well, this is the end of the road, until the sequel. So, basically for this epilogue, I wanted to portray what comes after the finale. You know, most stories have those happy endings, but they never tell you what happens to the characters after everything is said and done. Well, I thought the story should delve into the state of the world and the characters after the battle with Kronos finished. So, that's what this is. It's also the series of events that will lead into the sequel. It's also brings to light the concept of the consequences of someone's actions. As Percy said last chapter, it's like the domino effect. Also, I have no idea when I'll be getting to work on the sequel. I just know that after writing this fic, I want some time away from it before writing that sequel. Anyways, on to shout outs._

_RestlessHeart182: I'll sort of miss it. It's been a fun journey._

_Luckyducky: Thank you! It was a nice touch, wasn't it. Ha. Well, I shall see you for the sequel._

_DarkLove: Thanks so much. I'm sorry if I scarred you for life. It was a nice look into his character. Getting to know he wasn't super evil._

_percyjackson: I'm happy to have you on board for the sequel ^.^_

_Rosabel: Well, I did choose not too. However, I don't feel it would necessarily be breaking the PJO universe if I did. I mean, as much as I hate Percabeth, for all I know they do mess around. I mean, with how things are today, it's not uncommon for 16 year olds to be having sex. I'll try taking a look at those fics._

_Bridgette-Daughter of Athena: Thank you :D._

_PinkRenegade: Thanks! Well, I sort of needed all them for the sequel. Apollo was a toss up, though. Originally, he was going to die, either in the battle or before the sequel. Well, they might have been powerful, but you also have to keep in mind that they were outmatched. And about Nico, he had already said that Luke was already dead in his eyes. So, he burned that bridge. He probably mourned the loss of Luke in the past. But as you probably noticed throughout the fic, Nico never showed compassion to Luke, giving evidence that he no longer cared for his ex. And I never said Luke and Nico were in love, not that I can remember anyways. So, I hope that helps you get into the head of this Nico a little better. Like the rest of this fic, it's not just black and white, and people aren't always as compassionate as you might think they should be._

_Scarlett Dove: Thanks! I'll see you there._

_Valdez: Me? Evil? Never. But perhaps this story doesn't have the happy endings that most stories do. That's why I said if you didn't want the sequel to stay at last chapter. I mean, the sequel might end on a happy note, but I don't know yet._

_Happykid44: You should like the epilogue. It was in a deleted scene. Haha. Wow. I liked the epilogue, even if it isn't the traditional happy ending. But that's what the sequel is for. Unless I decide to make it a dark ending. That's what a good sequel is supposed to do, take a while to come out and make the people wait and build anticipation._

_Make-it-Now: No._

_LizziDaughterofHades: I will be checking those out._

_HubrisP: Thanks._

_So, just making it clear, Percy was not Kronos's son. It had something to do with why Kronos took a special interest in Percy, because he looked like his son. However, considering I visually showed the son die, because you're not going to live through an explosion like that, it's impossible. Now, make sure to stay tuned at the end to get a little info on the sequel. I'm not going to give out spoilers, but I will tell you a title and a few other details. And as a reminder, I will be going on my hiatus once this is posted. Sadly, I can't reply to my anon reviewers because this is the end :(. But, I will be replying to any account reviews once I return. Speaking of anon reviews, where has HeyItsAmber been? Come back to me! Anyways, we can all have cake at the end._

_Warning: Character death. I think that about covers it. I know, now you're curious._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot of the fic._

_Note: So, you know I had a theme for this fic, right? The song Choke by Hybrid is where the fic got it's name. In all honesty, I'd probably pic that for the theme song, if this was a TV show or movie. Well, the song for this chapter is The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins. It just really goes with the atmosphere of this chapter. So, go find that song and put it on repeat until you finish._

_**Edit: Just to clarify, since there was confusion, keep in mind that Jason was adopted. That is important. His adopted father died, not his biological one. Zeus was his biological father, Mr. Grace was his adopted father. I did state this before.**  
_

Chapter 20: The Epilogue

Percy waited on a bench for Nico to get out of class. He leaned back and let out a long breath. Things had been quiet over the past month. He had abused his telepathy a little and had gotten Nico, Jason, and the others enrolled into college. He opened his eyes when he felt someone tap his foot. Nico smiled down at him. "Enjoying yourself?" Nico asked.

Percy stood up and kissed Nico. "Well, I'm enjoying myself more now that you're here," Percy replied.

Nico rolled his eyes. "You're a dork."

"But I'm your dork." Percy took Nico's hand and the two headed off towards his apartment. Ever since the battle with Kronos, Nico had taken up residence in the apartment, much to Percy's pleasure. They were still keeping their relationship innocent, but it was nice getting to have Nico around so much. Back when this all started, he couldn't even get in touch with the boy unless Nico wanted to talk to him.

It had taken Percy a while to finally relax, but he was starting to come around. He liked that Jason, Apollo, Leo, Rachel, and Lou all still stayed in touch with him. He saw most of them on a daily basis, and they were all starting to adapt to normal life. Leo and Lou would help his parents out from time to time, Leo helping in the lab, and Lou helping Poseidon and Sally make a list of all the Specials in the world.

The only person Percy hadn't really gotten to see lately was Chiron. Percy's father had been true to his word and talked to Chiron about coming onboard with them, but Chiron had turned them down. He said he was ready to retire, and that he had seen enough of organizations and their operations. Percy honestly couldn't blame him. Nico would go to visit him once or twice a week, just to make sure he was ok. Percy didn't think Nico liked the idea of Chiron being alone all the time, considering he was like a father to Nico.

Athena had systematically wiped out the Consortium, hitting them at every angle. With no one to replace Kronos on such short notice, and with the pressure Athena had placed on them, they had collapsed. Chiron said that some might end up at U.N.I.T., but that it was nothing to worry about. While Percy was relieved to learn about the Consortium's fate, he couldn't help but have a feeling of uneasiness about the situation.

They finally reached the apartment, and Percy collapsed onto the couch. Nico shook his head at him and went over to the kitchen to get a drink. Annabeth sat at the table, drawing on a piece of paper. "What are you working on?" Nico asked as he passed back through.

She glanced up and looked up at Nico as if she hadn't heard them come in. "Just some designs for the battle suits. I was going to run them over with Athena when I finish," she replied, returning to her work. Nico peered over her shoulder, but she covered the paper, sending him a small glare.

He chuckled and shook his head, walking over to the couch. He plopped down beside Percy, who had finally sat up. He leaned on Percy's shoulder as Percy turned on the TV. Percy flipped through the channels for a while, until he froze on one. He furrowed his eyebrows. Zeus was on TV again. This had been going on ever since the fight with Kronos.

"Why is he always on TV?" Percy growled.

Nico shrugged. "The U.N. is probably unhappy with U.N.I.T. after our fight. They probably feel that U.N.I.T. is unable to keep a situation under control anymore," Nico guessed.

Annabeth looked up from her work to look at the screen. "He's probably right. The world has been bordering on chaos lately," she agreed. "People aren't that stupid. They know something has happened, but they just don't know what. The U.N. does know what's going on, but the situation has gotten out of hand for them. Your parents beat them to something and ended up taking the credit for defeating, not only Kronos, but the Consortium as well."

"That's too bad for them," grumbled Percy. "Maybe if we're lucky, they'll collapse too."

"Doubtful," mumbled Nico. He squeezed Percy's hand. "How are the sessions with your parents going?"

Percy sighed. "They haven't really gotten anywhere yet. I don't feel crazy, but it is just weird trying to sort out my own thoughts. I sometimes find myself questioning my own conscious, you know?"

Nico nodded. "I'm sorry."

Percy shook his head. "It was my own fault. I shouldn't have stayed in his head."

"You didn't know, Percy."

Kronos's thoughts had become the hardest part of getting back to normalcy for Percy. After the battle, and finding out that Luke, Circe, and Ethan had all been killed, Percy couldn't help but feel a little angry. Not at Nico, for some reason he rational outweighed Kronos's thoughts when it came to Luke's death, but he had been a little upset at the others for two weeks. Sometimes he would find thoughts that weren't his own floating around in his head. Even though Percy had killed Kronos, he had still left a part of himself with Percy.

* * *

"Get the job done!" Zeus shut the door behind him to cut off the tirade of angry yelling being sent his way. He tightened his jaw and straightened his tie as he walked forward. It had been two months since what was probably Percy's battle with Kronos. He just couldn't prove it. The only proof that had been around when they had arrived was the destruction.

Percy Jackson was the boy that Chiron had spent two years of his career searching for. A boy like that had to be special. Another sign that Kronos was probably dead was the collapse of the Consortium. That did not add up to him, though. How could Percy manage to bring down an entire organization so easily? He had to have had help. Things like this were just missing for Zeus, and that's what he had always been good at, noticing what wasn't there.

A young man with slicked back light brown hair and hazel eyes jogged up to Zeus. "I got everything you asked, sir," the man said, handing Zeus several files.

Zeus took them, nodding at the man. "Thank you, Janus. Walk with me a moment while I look this over," Zeus mumbled, flipping through the first file.

"Those are the codes you asked for, as well as the list of the known Specials in the world. I just got it updated an hour ago since you demanded that the Trackers work harder in finding as many as possible."

Zeus nodded, eyes roaming the file's contents. "Was there any trouble getting the codes?"

"Hardly any," Janus replied.

Zeus nodded again. "Very good. I'll make well on my promise after this is all over then." Zeus closed the first file and opened the second one.

"That is the list of U.N.I.T.'s agents."

Zeus's eyes darkened. "There is information missing," he growled, slamming the file shut. "Where is the information on Nico, Jason, and Apollo?"

Janus cleared his throat, running his finger under his collar. "Gone, sir. Some other data seems to have gone missing as well."

"And our digital copies?"

"All gone."

Zeus rubbed his beard as he shut the file, moving on to the next. "Tell me this one has what I'm looking for," he barked.

Janus swallowed. "Well, sir, it seems that most of the information on Percy Jackson was also removed."

Zeus's jaw tightened. "And the other thing I asked you to look into?" he growled.

"Well, I'm not sure how you'll take it. There wasn't much I could find."

Zeus's features eased up as he looked over the file on Percy's parents. "That's good."

"Sir?"

"If you are unable to dig up any real information on Percy's parents, I have to question how they are capable of keeping their lives so secret." He flipped through the file. "Percy had to get help from somewhere, and Chiron and the others wouldn't have been able to provide the kind of help that Percy would have needed. So, I have to question what his parents are up to."

"W-Would you like me to send an agent after them?" Janus asked nervously.

Zeus closed the file, placing it under his arm. "No, I believe this requires a...personal touch."

* * *

Percy woke up at the sound of a car alarm. He cracked an eye open to find himself alone in bed. He yawned and crawled out of bed. He walked to his door, slowly cracking it open to look into the living room. The car alarm sounded louder for some odd reason. He walked into the living room to find the balcony door open. He dragged himself outside, rubbing at his eyes. Nico stood on the balcony, looking down at the street below. Percy gave him an odd look and shut the door behind him, causing Nico to jump.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Percy whispered, walking up next to Nico. "What are you doing out there?"

"Watching everyone tear themselves apart," Nico mumbled, still looking at the streets.

Percy frowned and looked down into the city. He could see a man hot wiring a car. He gripped the railing and quietly entered the man's mind. The man froze and got out of the car, shutting the door behind him and walking off without a word.

"Why do you even bother, Percy?" Nico asked.

Percy glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

"The world isn't getting better." Nico finally tore his eyes away from the streets to look at Percy. "What if they were right? What if Kronos was needed in the world?"

"Why are you talking like this?" Percy asked, taking Nico's hand into his own.

"Look at the world, Percy. It's been four months, and everything seems to slowly be getting worse. Annabeth's right, the world is falling into chaos. The Consortium was made up of corporations, and they all fell into ruin when Kronos died. It shook the foundation of the world, and people are starting to panic."

"We'll just have to fix it," Percy proposed.

"What if I don't want to fix it anymore?"

Percy furrowed his eyebrow. He pulled Nico closer to him. "Hey, don't talk like that. Everything's gonna be fine."

"You don't know that," Nico whispered.

Percy's old nightmare flashed through his mind at Nico's words. "I caused this, and I have to fix it."

Nico turned his head to look at Percy. "You can't seriously be blaming yourself for this."

"Yes, I am. I killed Kronos, I helped bring down the Consortium. This is my fault." He paused, licking his lips. "I never told you this, but back when this all started, I had a nightmare in the same night I dreamed about the rooftop event with you and Luke."

"What happened?" Nico asked curiously, eyes darting down to the city again when he heard a car horn.

"It was a horrible dream, but I just brushed it off as a nightmare. I just can't but wonder if there's any truth to it."

"Percy, tell me."

"In the dream a voice told me that, if I went with you, I'd bring about the end of the world," Percy confessed.

Nico pursed his lips as he turned to face the city again. "I'm sure it was nothing. Things are bad, but like you said, it can get better."

"I just-" Percy stopped talking when he heard voices in the streets below. They spotted a mob of people appearing to riot in the street. Percy watched them for a while, debating on whether or not to get involved. They were just standing around holding up signs. A cop car eventually showed up, and two cops got out.

The cops tried to quell the riot, but one threw a beer bottle against the cop car's windshield. The cops retaliated by pulling out nightsticks and beating some of the citizens. One of the rioters pulled out a molotov and lit it on fire. He tossed it at one of the cops, but the cop dodged it. The molotov sailed through the air, smashing through a window of a building.

A few seconds later, flames shot out of the building. The rioters scattered, trying to put themselves out, the cops radioed for assistance, and the building engulfed in flames. Percy watched in horror as the events occurred, unsure of what to do. Nico only wore a blank expression as he watched the fire. "God help us all," Nico whispered.

* * *

Poseidon sat hunched over on the couch, studying all the files they had made for examining Percy's condition. He groaned in frustration, gripping at his hair. "Don't hurt yourself, dear," Sally teased, sitting a cup of tea on the table in front of him.

"This is just stumping me. I feel helpless regarding Percy's problems," he explained.

"I'm sure we'll get it eventually. We also have Athena examining the situation for us."

Sally picked up the remote to turn on the TV, but Poseidon snatched the remote from her hand. "I don't want to see the news," he grunted. "There's nothing but bad news nowadays."

"I'm sure something can be done to fix it. The U.N. will probably step in."

Poseidon nodded and went back to looking over their notes. Sally sipped at her own tea, while picking up a file of her own to read. They had been running themselves into the ground over the past five months, trying to figure out a solution to Percy's condition.

And the worst part was the world wasn't getting better. If anything, it was getting worse. The world seemed to be getting close to a state of collapse. The Consortium must have had more control than they had originally thought for its collapse to have this big of a ripple in the world order.

Poseidon sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He sat the paper in his hand back onto the coffee table and picked up his cup of tea. He sipped on it, trying to calm his nerves. He was supposed to be able to fix and take care of all of Percy's big problems, but how was he supposed to get someone's thoughts out of Percy's head?

"Perhaps Athena is having better luck with this," Poseidon said hopefully.

"We'll figure this out," Sally said, squeezing Poseidon's leg.

"If we can't?"

Sally pursed her lips. "I try not to think about it. Percy's a strong boy, though. I'm sure he'll persevere."

"When he's not being rebellious," Poseidon mumbled.

Sally chuckled. She started to rub Poseidon's back. "I think he's moved past that stage now. He knows the truth, and I think he's going to act more maturely."

Poseidon sighed and nodded his head. "At least he seems happier now than he was before, even with all the chaos going on around him."

"Would it make you feel better if we got involved?" Sally asked.

Poseidon scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not sure. We already risked a great deal getting involved with the Consortium, I don't know if I'm ready to risk more." Poseidon let out a long sigh and sat down his tea.

"Perhaps you should get some rest. You're not going to help anyone if you're exhausted."

Poseidon stifled a yawn. "I suppose you're right," he agreed. He stood up from the couch and headed towards their bedroom. He flipped the light switch and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, loosening the collar. He pulled the covers back on the bed and went to the bathroom.

He pulled his toothbrush from its place on the sink. He ran it under the water and then placed the toothpaste on the brush. When he was about to raise it to his mouth, he heard a crash in the living room. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat the toothbrush down.

"Sally?" he called out, but received no answer. He frowned and headed towards the bedroom door, grabbing a taser from his nightstand. He grabbed the door handle and slipped into the hall. He made his way down the hall, finding the living room lights off. "Sally, are you alright?"

He stepped into the kitchen, feeling around on the counter to guide his path. He stopped when his foot hit something on the floor. He felt around for the light switch, but when he finally found it, it wouldn't turn on. He crouched down to inspect what he had found on the floor.

His hand felt soft fabric, long soft hair, and a face. His hand trembled as he felt Sally's facial features. He spun around when the blinds on the other side of the apartment opened. A man was standing in front of the window, looking out at the city.

"This city is a truly amazing sight, isn't it?" the voice said.

Poseidon clenched his fists and stood back up. He walked into the living room, taser at the ready. Poseidon took aim and fired the taser at the man, but the man only laughed at him. He ripped the probes out of his arm and dropped them to the ground.

"I don't think you'll find that very effective," the man informed him.

Poseidon growled and lunged at the man. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him up against the glass, cracking it. His eyes widened at the face he found. "You," he whispered.

"You've been meddling in things that don't concern you," Zeus replied.

Poseidon released Zeus and swung at his jaw. Zeus dodged it and Poseidon's hand shattered the glass. Zeus picked Poseidon up and threw him on top of the coffee table. Zeus stood over Poseidon's form and fiddled with his ring. "What do you hope to accomplish, Zeus?"

Zeus smirked down at him. "I don't think that really concerns you, considering you won't be alive to see what I have planned. Poseidon growled and lunged at Zeus, only to receive an elbow to the face. Zeus backhanded Poseidon, sending him to the floor. Zeus stared blankly down at Poseidon. He raised a hand towards Poseidon.

* * *

The rain fell heavily as the caskets were lowered into the ground. Percy sat unmoving, as he had through the entire service. He stood up and tossed a rose down on each of his parents' caskets before turning around to walk off. He spotted Nico a few feet away, watching him carefully. Annabeth came up to him, offering him an umbrella, but he shook his head. She pursed her lips and let him walk off.

His eyes flickered over to a woman standing under a tree. He had been aware of her the entire time, as she had barely taken her eyes off him. She had long straightened brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had a black dress on, and was wearing a necklace with emeralds, complimented by a small hat on top of her head with a veil attached to it.

Percy continued to watch her as he made his way to his boyfriend, her eyes still locked on to him. Percy tightened his jaw and looked over to Nico for a moment, holding up a finger to signal to give him a moment. He changed course and headed to the woman.

She smiled at him as he approached, extending her hand out to Percy. Percy took her hand into his own and shook it, taking note of the green nail polish on her nails. "I'm sorry for you loss, Perseus," she said gently. "Your parents were great assets to humanity, and their loss is tragic."

Percy frowned slightly at her. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?" he asked.

Gaea smiled at him again, her eyes flashing with something undetectable. "I...I'm old friend of your parents. They told me a lot about you."

Percy nodded his head. "I didn't get your name."

She placed her hand on Percy's arm. "My name is Gaea, and I hope that perhaps one day we can have the pleasure of working together." Before Percy could question her further, she opened her umbrella and walked off into the rain.

Percy frowned at her retreating form. He watched her walk up to a limo, the door being opened for her by a tall man. She turned and looked back at Percy, smiling at him one final time before getting inside the vehicle. Percy wondered who she was exactly. His parents had never mentioned a Gaea before.

Percy looked back over to Nico, who had started walking off into the cemetery. Percy furrowed his eyebrows, walking in Nico's direction. Nico had become a little distant over the past two weeks. He hadn't pulled away in terms of his affections, but Percy could sense something was weighing heavily on Nico's mind. He slid his hands into his pockets as he reached Nico.

Nico turned around to look at him. He pursed his lips as he stared at Percy. "How are you?" he asked.

"I don't know how to feel," Percy confessed.

Nico nodded. "I know how you feel."

Percy looked down and let out a long sigh. Nico stepped up to him and placed his hands on either side of Percy's face. He leaned up and touched their lips together in a brief kiss. Percy attempted to give him a smile as they pulled back, but it didn't work very well. He reached up and brushed Nico's wet hair out of his eyes.

Nico fidgeted nervously in front of him. "What's wrong?" Percy asked.

"I-I think I need to leave for a while," Nico told him.

Percy frowned at his boyfriend. "Why?"

"I don't really know what to do with myself anymore. Ever since my family's death, my purpose in life was to kill Kronos, and now that he's gone, I don't know what to do."

Nico tried to step back, but Percy grabbed on to his wrist. "I really need you right now, Nico. Can I not be your purpose? This world has fallen into chaos, and I don't think I can get through this right now without you."

Nico pursed his lips and looked down. He nodded his head. "I know," he whispered. He leaned up and kissed Percy on the cheek. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me."

Percy ran the back of his hand down Nico's cheek. "So you won't leave?"

Nico shook his head. "I know what you're going through, and all I wanted when I lost my parents was someone there to comfort me." He looked up into Percy's eyes. "Kronos took Luke from me when I needed him most. I won't hurt you like Luke hurt me."

Percy gave a small lopsided smile. He pulled Nico into a hug. "Thank you," he mumbled into Nico's wet hair.

"Besides, someone has to watch out for you with all the bad stuff that's going on."

Percy pulled back. "We need to fix this. People need someone to look to. They need someone to save them."

Nico's eyes darkened, taking on a coldness that Percy had noticed more often when Nico watched the news reports on the world's condition. He shook his head at Percy. "No." Percy looked at him in confusion. "You're right, the world is going to cry out for someone to save them, but when that day comes, I'll whisper, 'No'."

Percy stared at Nico in slight disbelief as he turned around and walked off. Percy turned his head to look back at his parents' graves. He chewed on his lip as he stared at the tombstones, feeling a pain in his chest. He let out a sigh and slid his hands back into his pockets. He turned back around and walked after Nico, who had turned back to watch him.

Percy reached out for Nico's hand as he reached him. Nico took Percy's hand, and Percy brought Nico's hand up to his lips to kiss. He looked up at the stormy sky as they walked out of the cemetery. Perhaps all of them were right. Perhaps the world really was beyond saving. The real question was what would happen now? He glanced over and Nico and squeezed his hand. A small smile spread onto Nico's lips. Percy lowered his head back to the ground as they continued to walk back to their place. What mattered now was keeping those he cared about safe, and Percy would do everything possible to make sure that they were, even if they faced extinction.

_Well, that's the end, for now. As I said, not the happy ending that people usually expect. But I suppose Choke was meant to be a dark fic. If you look hard enough, you'll see inspiration from The Watchmen. So, the world is slowly collapsing into chaos. Percy still has Kronos's thoughts in his head. Nico doesn't want to be a hero figure. A new character, Gaea, has appeared, what could she be up to? And what is Zeus up to? He killed Percy's parents, and is planning something very big. What could be in store for everyone? You'll have to wait for the sequel. I have no idea when it'll be out. Sometime after I finish Sola Amor probably. I'll see what's going on when I do finish that fic. As far as a posting day, it'll take the place of whatever it is replacing. The name of the fic will either be Extinction or Genesis, so keep an eye out for either of those titles. It'll pick up a year after the epilogue ended. I'm not going to spoil anything beyond that. It will be longer, and you will be getting several new characters. But you'll just have to wait and see what is in store for everyone. Anyways, before I bid you all farewell, I'll have Bragi come back a final time to say his goodbyes._

_SoH: So, we are done. Would you like some cake for this celebration?_

_Bragi: I brought pie. I haven't trusted cake since GLaDOS and I...parted ways._

_SoH: Wtf is GLaDOS?_

_Bragi: You call yourself a nerd and you've never played Portal? For shame! Well, irregardless, why don't you have a piece of my pie?_

_SoH: Oh...I feel dumb now. I should have known my cake was a lie. What did you put in the pie?_

_Bragi: It's just a lovely chocolate cream pie, specifically designed to help you relax on your hiatus, here, try some._

_Bragi shoves a piece down XSonOfHadesX's throat_

_SoH: O.o What poisons have you put in this?_

_Bragi waits patiently for XSonOfHadesX to fall asleep_

_SoH: I'm just going to spit this out. So, Bragi, what are you going to be doing while we have this hiatus?_

_Bragi: Pity, the pie really was the way to go._

_Bragi chloroforms XSonOfHadesX_

_Bragi: XSonOfHadesX will be...working extensively on his new fic, as well as his technique as an author, during his hiatus (the length of which is determined by yours truly). Once he comes back, I'm more than certain he will have absolutely wonderful things to show you all, but we have to be going now, see you all in about two weeks! :D_

_Bragi drags XSonOfHadesX off to parts unknown._


End file.
